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 movie took liberties, but White's fight for Stuart to be a mouse-like boy is an important part of his history, even if some are bewildered by it.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 13 Dec. 2025
The rapper and his wife Ashanti welcomed the baby boy in July 2024.
—Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025
In the mix is a young girl with psychokinetic powers who has escaped from a secret research lab, an alcoholic police chief who is trying to find the missing boy and a frantic mother.
—Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2025
But this was still a farewell to a local church boy.
—Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 12 Dec. 2025
Teen boys are more likely to use Reddit and YouTube than teen girls.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 12 Dec. 2025
It was detected with early use of those shots, when the first and second doses were recommended to be spaced as closely as three weeks apart, and was predominantly seen in boys and young men.
—Ben Tinker, CNN Money, 12 Dec. 2025
Prices are relatively affordable mid-range, with a quality that lasts, and A&F carries styles for girls and boys.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 12 Dec. 2025
She had been taken from the wild in the 1970s by a New York boy, and from that time, lived in that unnatural environment.
—Alina Hartounian, NPR, 12 Dec. 2025
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.
Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 13 Dec. 2025
The rapper and his wife Ashanti welcomed the baby boy in July 2024.
—Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025
In the mix is a young girl with psychokinetic powers who has escaped from a secret research lab, an alcoholic police chief who is trying to find the missing boy and a frantic mother.
—Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2025
But this was still a farewell to a local church boy.
—Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 12 Dec. 2025
Teen boys are more likely to use Reddit and YouTube than teen girls.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 12 Dec. 2025
It was detected with early use of those shots, when the first and second doses were recommended to be spaced as closely as three weeks apart, and was predominantly seen in boys and young men.
—Ben Tinker, CNN Money, 12 Dec. 2025
Prices are relatively affordable mid-range, with a quality that lasts, and A&F carries styles for girls and boys.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 12 Dec. 2025
She had been taken from the wild in the 1970s by a New York boy, and from that time, lived in that unnatural environment.
—Alina Hartounian, NPR, 12 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boy. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boy
noun1
: a male child from birth to young manhood
2
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share