boy

noun

ˈbȯi How to pronounce boy (audio)
Definition of boynext
1
as in kid
a male person who has not yet reached adulthood a giggling little boy ran by

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in boyfriend
a male romantic companion their teenaged daughter has a new boy, and she's just crazy about him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of boy Each boy has their own room in the boarding house, promoting responsibility. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026 Ironically, that only clicks into focus when Lester hires a handsome indigenous boy named Jimmy (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai) to be the woman of the house. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026 His brutish boys are programmed to decimate any target in sight. — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Reminiscent of the discussions around Michael Jackson’s upbringing, this Lanterns episode has sparked specific conversations about parenting Black boys and children into greatness, and what actions constitute abusive or unhealthy parenting. — Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for boy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boy
  1. kid
  2. boyfriend
  3. teenager
  4. beau
  5. lad
  6. adolescent
  7. toddler
Noun
  • And suppose, additionally, that Haidt is also right, and that—for many kids—smartphones are deepening these problems and adding new ones.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Bakewell’s donations weren’t the only ones to pose issues for Brotherhood Crusade, which provides an array of services aimed at keeping kids from joining gangs.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of kid
Noun
  • Throughout much of the season Elassal plays the dutiful friend to his core group — Lucy Freyer’s Billie, Owen Thiele’s Anton, Amita Rao’s Issa and Jack Innanen’s Paul Baker — and dutiful boyfriend to Rachel Marsh’s Carly.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The 35-year-old model and her boyfriend, Romain Gavras, 45, were photographed sharing a passionate kiss while walking through the streets of Rome.
    — Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of boyfriend
Noun
  • The two teenagers spend a summer helping Tomy’s uncle, portrayed by Hannes Perkmann, with milking and other duties, as well as exploring the outdoors.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The teenager was identified as Moises Ponce Mendoza on GoFundMe by his mother, Mónica Mendoza.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of teenager
Noun
  • And, when Malika’s dentist beau sends her flowers, Khloé opines (over FaceTime, naturally) that the bouquet is too small and therefore cheap.
    — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Timothée Chalamet, who is 30, and Kylie Jenner have been together for at least three years, but that doesn't mean Jenner is giving into any societal pressures to start a family with her beau.
    — Marzia Nicolini, Vanity Fair, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of beau
Noun
  • That young lad would gave the old lady the unfortunate hit stick would be UMass stud safety Jahmad Harmon, for those who aren't up to date on all things Minutemen football.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Kyle Walker and even some of the foreign lads were taking the p***.
    — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of lad
Noun
  • Getty An island that had spent decades pairing glamour with license was perhaps the wrong place to entrust an adolescent to unusually permissive relatives.
    — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026
  • One adolescent possibly had contact with the bat, officials said.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of adolescent
Noun
  • The free meals program aims to combat malnutrition and reduce childhood stunting by providing meals to nearly 90 million students, toddlers and pregnant women.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Their opponents were Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Australian Maya Joint, who, at 20 years old, was just a toddler when the Williams sisters won the 2009 US Open.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of toddler

Phrases Containing boy

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boxy
boy
boychick
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Cite this Entry

“Boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boy. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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