plural boys
often attributive
1
a(1)
: a male child from birth to adulthood
a ten-year-old boy
(2)
: a child whose gender identity is male
Author Kyle Lukoff told Newsweek, Call Me Max and other books in the series are about a young trans boy figuring out who he is, making new friends, and sharing about himself with his family and community.—
Samantha Lock
Samantha Lock
b
: son
My older boy just got married.
Even though it made them uncomfortable to have their boy talked about all over town, secretly, Nick's mom and dad were pleased.—Andrew Clements
Andrew Clements
c
: an immature male
separate the men from the boys
a boy genius
2
3
chiefly US slang
: a close male friend
Now, the receiver is getting a second chance, thanks to old friend Tom Brady. "Tom is my boy," [Antonio] Brown said Wednesday during his introductory video press conference in Tampa.—Michael Hurley
Michael Hurley4
: a male domesticated animal and especially a pet
Leo is a 2-year-old pit bull mix. … He loves receiving attention, getting pets and being told he is a good boy.—The Denver Post
The Denver PostJean Greening greets the birds in the aviary with whistles, kissing noises, and the phrase, "Who's a pretty boy?"—Current Science
Current Science5
a
dated, offensive
: a male servant or an enslaved man
b
disparaging + offensive
—used to address a man of color and especially a Black man
Note: The deeply offensive use of the word boy to address an adult man of color has a strong association with sense 5a and is a term expressive of racist condescension.
Examples of boy in a Sentence
It's a boy! She gave birth to a baby boy this morning.
a nine-year-old boy named David
Okay, boys and girls, it's time to play a game.
Is this your little boy?
That's my boy! Good job, Son.
a group of teenage boys
My parents want me to meet a nice boy and get married.
Don't be so hard on him. He's just a boy.
a poor boy from the north
Wait till the boys back home hear about this!
Recent Examples on the Web
Rules of engagement make the American military stronger, no matter what the frat boys might tell you.
—Arkansas Online, 14 Mar. 2026
Kobe Love’s declaration came true Friday night at the Alamodome when Carter captured its first UIL boys basketball state championship with a 67-41 victory over La Marque in Class 4A Division II.
—Ishmael Johnson, Dallas Morning News, 13 Mar. 2026
The Lions joined Fort Lauderdale’s Dillard (2000-2003) as the only Broward County schools to win four consecutive boys’ basketball state championships.
—Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2026
The biggest question surrounding Westlake boys basketball coming into the season was how the team would fit together.
—Colby Gordon, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
If one little brown boy sees that … If one brown boy sees a brown boy walking away from a basketball court to go find a nook to read in.
—Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
The actors eventually work well together, but there is a lingering sense of friction between Marky and the golden boy.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
The white-boy percussiveness of his rap is mesmeric.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
His first wife had died in China just a year or two earlier, and their son, a boy named Chin Shau Hong, now lived in Hong Kong.
—Charlotte Brooks, Big Think, 13 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Arkansas Online, 14 Mar. 2026
Kobe Love’s declaration came true Friday night at the Alamodome when Carter captured its first UIL boys basketball state championship with a 67-41 victory over La Marque in Class 4A Division II.
—Ishmael Johnson, Dallas Morning News, 13 Mar. 2026
The Lions joined Fort Lauderdale’s Dillard (2000-2003) as the only Broward County schools to win four consecutive boys’ basketball state championships.
—Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2026
The biggest question surrounding Westlake boys basketball coming into the season was how the team would fit together.
—Colby Gordon, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
If one little brown boy sees that … If one brown boy sees a brown boy walking away from a basketball court to go find a nook to read in.
—Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
The actors eventually work well together, but there is a lingering sense of friction between Marky and the golden boy.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
The white-boy percussiveness of his rap is mesmeric.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
His first wife had died in China just a year or two earlier, and their son, a boy named Chin Shau Hong, now lived in Hong Kong.
—Charlotte Brooks, Big Think, 13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boy. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boy
noun1
: a male child from birth to young manhood
2
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
