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
Countless stories elucidate the ways perpetrators and those near them (whether in ethnic, religious or political communities) respond when girls and boys tell about abuse.
—Lynn Dewoskin Covarrubias, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
The victim was a 14-year-old girl who was allegedly struck multiple times by a boy of the same age, KOLN and the Lincoln Journal Star reported this week.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Linda becomes her husband’s unyielding defender as the tortured Biff — once the quintessential American boy — develops into a Knight of the Mirrors against his father’s Quixote, the adversary who tries to force the dreamer to encounter his own reflection.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
The driver and a juvenile boy were both taken to the hospital with unknown injuries, according to the release.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Day 1 of the UIL state soccer championships kick off on Thursday with the Class 4A Division I and Division II boys and girls title games from Birkelbach Field on the campus of Georgetown High School.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2026
The young boy’s interest was piqued.
—Andrew Weeks, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2026
Once an unnamed boy (Naru Asanuma) shows up and the Lost Man realizes that this mysterious kid is not an anomaly, Exit 8 begins to adds elements of pathos and paternal anxiety to its free-floating paranoia.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
Deputies found a boy about 400 yards from the trailhead.
—Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
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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Lynn Dewoskin Covarrubias, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
The victim was a 14-year-old girl who was allegedly struck multiple times by a boy of the same age, KOLN and the Lincoln Journal Star reported this week.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Linda becomes her husband’s unyielding defender as the tortured Biff — once the quintessential American boy — develops into a Knight of the Mirrors against his father’s Quixote, the adversary who tries to force the dreamer to encounter his own reflection.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
The driver and a juvenile boy were both taken to the hospital with unknown injuries, according to the release.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Day 1 of the UIL state soccer championships kick off on Thursday with the Class 4A Division I and Division II boys and girls title games from Birkelbach Field on the campus of Georgetown High School.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2026
The young boy’s interest was piqued.
—Andrew Weeks, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2026
Once an unnamed boy (Naru Asanuma) shows up and the Lost Man realizes that this mysterious kid is not an anomaly, Exit 8 begins to adds elements of pathos and paternal anxiety to its free-floating paranoia.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
Deputies found a boy about 400 yards from the trailhead.
—Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boy. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boy
noun1
: a male child from birth to young manhood
2
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
