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 This thing—the military—aims, at least in Harlow’s eyes, to turn boys into tools for brutal battlefield aims. — Jasper Craven, New Yorker, 24 July 2026 When Matt Damon and his boys land ashore and spot a sheep, Odysseus infers that where there are sheep, there’s a shepherd, and where there’s a shepherd, there’s someone to offer hospitality in accordance with Zeus’s law. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 24 July 2026 This is a show in which a teenage boy is manipulated into biting off his own toe. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 24 July 2026 Usha Vance, who welcomed her fourth child with Vice President JD Vance last week, on Friday, July 24, dropped pictures of the new family of six and a close-up shot of the baby, a boy whom the couple named Alec Neel Vance. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 24 July 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
  • Send both members of the cool-kid clique home at the same time?
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 July 2026
  • Traci, Howe said, was ready to have kids and was happy to have a man with a stable income.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026
Definition of kid
Noun
  • In Kansas, a Sedgwick police chief used Flock license plate readers to track his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend’s vehicles 228 times over four-plus months, The Wichita Eagle reported in 2024.
    — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2026
  • Burke went on to allege that Hernandez initiated their first kiss and asked him to be her boyfriend.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of boyfriend
Noun
  • The series, about students at a school in Japan that teaches super-powered teenagers how to become heroes, arrived in the boom era of Marvel Studios’ cinematic universe.
    — Diya Chacko, Oc Register, 24 July 2026
  • Investigators testified that the teenager carried the rifle onto the school bus with the barrel wrapped in a poster board.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026
Definition of teenager
Noun
  • Olsen first teased his relationship with Dockerty in October, soft-launching his new beau by blurring out his face in photos on social media.
    — Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
  • Think beau sels oysters, salted fish croquettes, roasted swordfish and pizzas topped with lobster, tomatoes and stracciatella.
    — Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
Definition of beau
Noun
  • Or is a ‘good’ World Cup actually one in which none of your lads featured, or their country got knocked out early, and are therefore going to be fresh heading into the 10 gruelling months ahead?
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • This intensive five-day retreat welcomes only America’s dudes, bros, lads, sons and fathers.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
Definition of lad
Noun
  • YouTube comedian Bo Burnham directs this empathetic portrait of Kayla (Elsie Fisher), an insecure adolescent who posts motivational vlogs on YouTube while privately struggling with her self-image and burgeoning sexuality.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026
  • But for children and adolescents whose bodies and skeletons are still growing, specialized pediatric orthopedic care is critical.
    — JP Shaffer, Miami Herald, 22 June 2026
Definition of adolescent
Noun
  • Our pediatrician referred us to the Early Start Program through California's Regional Center system, the state's early intervention program for infants and toddlers with developmental delays.
    — Danielle Stephens, USA Today, 26 July 2026
  • Charging documents indicate that Abarca had a physical altercation with his ex-wife during the incident, and missing persons reports were briefly filed for both Abarca and the couple’s toddler son in the following days.
    — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2026
Definition of toddler

Phrases Containing boy

Browse Nearby Words

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 31 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on boy

Nglish: Translation of boy for Spanish Speakers

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