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
Schleifer and the Stallions boys and girls tennis teams concluded the season by sweeping the 2A state championships at Red Bug Lake Park in Casselberry near Orlando.
—Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 2 May 2026
In 1942, a researcher tried to get twenty boys at a summer camp to stop biting their nails.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 1 May 2026
The album may boast sharper songcraft and even clearer-eyed revolutionary politics, but Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí are still the same boys from West Belfast, making good trouble to hold bad actors to account.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
Based on Otessa Moshfegh’s novel about women driven to extremes by life in a small town, Thomasin McKenzie stars as the titular gruff clerk at a boys prison, physically and mentally stuck in a reality inextricable from male brutality.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Among the Mennonite churches Fisher attended as a boy, musical instruments were rarely used.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
The prestigious awards, given to the top boys and girls players in the state, are presented by the Chicago Tribune in conjunction with the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
In 1950, George’s senior class had only 13 boys, making the 28-0 season that much more special.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2026
Palisades’ boys and girls programs have appeared in every final since the City officially sanctioned lacrosse as a varsity sport 12 years ago.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 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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Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 2 May 2026
In 1942, a researcher tried to get twenty boys at a summer camp to stop biting their nails.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 1 May 2026
The album may boast sharper songcraft and even clearer-eyed revolutionary politics, but Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí are still the same boys from West Belfast, making good trouble to hold bad actors to account.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
Based on Otessa Moshfegh’s novel about women driven to extremes by life in a small town, Thomasin McKenzie stars as the titular gruff clerk at a boys prison, physically and mentally stuck in a reality inextricable from male brutality.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Among the Mennonite churches Fisher attended as a boy, musical instruments were rarely used.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
The prestigious awards, given to the top boys and girls players in the state, are presented by the Chicago Tribune in conjunction with the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
In 1950, George’s senior class had only 13 boys, making the 28-0 season that much more special.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2026
Palisades’ boys and girls programs have appeared in every final since the City officially sanctioned lacrosse as a varsity sport 12 years ago.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boy. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boy
noun1
: a male child from birth to young manhood
2
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