BOYHOOD Synonyms: 20 Similar and Opposite Words

boyhood

noun

Definition of boyhood

as in childhood

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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 boyhood Coutinho had been without a club since leaving boyhood club Vasco da Gama. — Leon Imber, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 That apocalyptic day has been imprinted on your memory since boyhood. — Ken Frydman, New York Daily News, 7 Sep. 2026 Initial reports from Jijantes suggested Balde decided to leave his boyhood club following a meeting between his agent and the Sporting Director, and comments from coach Hansi Flick questioning player commitment. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 Semenyo had already completed a prolific season in England’s Premier League, scoring 17 league goals to take over boyhood idol Tony Yeboah’s long-standing record for most scored by a Ghanaian in a single season. — Andrew McNicol, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 Johnston went on to become a lawyer, and some of his boyhood pals embarked upon successful careers in fields such as medicine, psychology, engineering and education. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Aug. 2026 Today, Armstrong's two-story boyhood home is an occasional stop for visitors of the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, even though the house itself isn't open for tours. — ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026 And Harry’s boyhood travels between Jamaica and New York fed his understanding of both. — Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026 The symphony has been a been a musical and spiritual guide for him since his boyhood. — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for boyhood

Noun

In Adults, Samir (Malik Elassal), Billie (Lucy Freyer), Paul Baker (Jack Innanen), Issa (Amita Rao) and Anton (Owen Thiele) are five friends crashing together in Samir’s childhood home.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
The relationship between Xi and Zhang went back decades, extending not just to their childhoods but all the way back to their fathers, who were comrades in arms in China’s ferocious civil war.

— Jonathan A. Czin, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of childhood

Noun

Now Carrie enters public school for the very first time, and with the reemergence of formidable telekinetic abilities, her blissful naivety of girlhood and her wide-open heart make her easy prey for physical and online bullies.

— Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026
Growing up, pop culture’s representations of girlhood included a blonde Wakefield twin from Sweet Valley High, a post-makeover Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club, and a big-breasted bombshell manufactured by some dorks with a Commodore 64.

— Lisa Whittington-Hill, Longreads, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of girlhood

Noun

Furniture should be durable for heavy play, finished with nontoxic materials for the taste-everything phase of toddlerhood, and ideally versatile enough to stick around for more than a few years.

— Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 31 Aug. 2026
The Olsen twins were the face of an acting empire from toddlerhood, first appearing as Michelle Tanner in the beloved sitcom Full House and going on to appear in dozens of direct-to-video films and TV sitcoms together.

— Alyssa Modos, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of toddlerhood

Noun

For teens who aren’t comfortable socially, adolescence is likely to be an especially rough time.

— Sarah Vanbuskirk, Parents, 16 Sep. 2026
The smart kids, the shy ones, the jokers and the loners — every one of them is caught in the pyroclastic flow of adolescence, every minute a negotiation between fitting in and standing out.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of adolescence

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“Boyhood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boyhood. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of boyhood

noun

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