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
The attack began Friday afternoon in the northern city of Beit Shean, where the Palestinian man crashed his vehicle into people, killing one man and injuring a teenage boy.
—Arkansas Online, 27 Dec. 2025
The plot unfurls 30 years after the Rage Virus spread through England as a boy and his dad travel from the safe harbor of their remote island for a perilous hunting mission.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 Dec. 2025
That's the start of Hoophall West, one of the biggest high school boys basketball showcases in the country, at Mesa Skyline.
—Richard Obert, AZCentral.com, 27 Dec. 2025
In a cave near the Nevada home where his family lived, the young boy stumbled upon a scientist who was hiding essential equipment from the Nevada Experiment, a secret government operation involving the Abyss.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
The three-time Super Bowl winner brought his boys to the mic for an adorable moment during the postgame interview following their 2023 championship win.
—Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
Another option would be to give my girls each their own rooms and have my boys share.
—Sarah Scott, Parents, 26 Dec. 2025
From their start in 1984 as a bait shop selling po-boys to their expansion into a full-service restaurant, Salvo’s has been a mainstay in Plaquemines Parish for more than 40 years.
—Kristy Christiansen, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2025
The unconscious boy is tethered to one of the villain's raw and life-sucking tentacles.
—Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 25 Dec. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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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, 27 Dec. 2025
The plot unfurls 30 years after the Rage Virus spread through England as a boy and his dad travel from the safe harbor of their remote island for a perilous hunting mission.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 Dec. 2025
That's the start of Hoophall West, one of the biggest high school boys basketball showcases in the country, at Mesa Skyline.
—Richard Obert, AZCentral.com, 27 Dec. 2025
In a cave near the Nevada home where his family lived, the young boy stumbled upon a scientist who was hiding essential equipment from the Nevada Experiment, a secret government operation involving the Abyss.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
The three-time Super Bowl winner brought his boys to the mic for an adorable moment during the postgame interview following their 2023 championship win.
—Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
Another option would be to give my girls each their own rooms and have my boys share.
—Sarah Scott, Parents, 26 Dec. 2025
From their start in 1984 as a bait shop selling po-boys to their expansion into a full-service restaurant, Salvo’s has been a mainstay in Plaquemines Parish for more than 40 years.
—Kristy Christiansen, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2025
The unconscious boy is tethered to one of the villain's raw and life-sucking tentacles.
—Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 25 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boy. Accessed 28 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boy
noun1
: a male child from birth to young manhood
2
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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