bad boy

noun

: a person who flouts convention
a literary bad boy

Examples of bad boy in a Sentence

He has become known as the bad boy of the American television industry.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Just one of these bad boys can keep the hungriest sports fans going strong. Natalie Hoy, Southern Living, 16 May 2026 Blowing up the asteroid by packing a hopper full of off-brand TNT and then wiring it up to explode after the pilots zip over to another hopper and flying that bad boy back to Mars? Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 15 May 2026 Fisher will play Xavier, the sexy bad boy of the ballroom. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 May 2026 Who in their right mind is going to tear open one of these bad boys? Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for bad boy

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bad boy was in 1860

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Cite this Entry

“Bad boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bad%20boy. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

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