boy

American  

[boi] / bɔɪ /

noun

1. a male child, from birth to full growth, especially one less than 18 years of age.

2. a young man who lacks maturity, judgment, etc.

3. Informal. a grown man, especially when referred to familiarly.

   He liked to play poker with the boys.

4. a son.

   Sam's oldest boy is helping him in the business.

5. a male who is from or native to a given place.

   He's a Mississippi boy.

6. (used with a singular or plural verb) boys,

   1. a range of sizes from 8 to 20 in garments made for boys.

   2. a garment in this size range.

   3. the department or section of a store where these garments are sold.

7. boys, military personnel, especially combat soldiers.

   Support the boys overseas.

8. Disparaging and Offensive. a term used to refer to or address a man considered by the speaker to be inferior in ethnicity, nationality, or occupational status.

9. a young male servant; page.

10. Offensive. (in India, China, Japan, etc.) a male servant, working as a butler, waiter, houseboy, etc.

11. Nautical. an apprentice seaman or fisherman.

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interjection

1. an exclamation of wonder, approval, etc., or of displeasure or contempt.

boy British  

/ bɔɪ /

noun

1. a male child; lad; youth

2. a man regarded as immature or inexperienced

   he's just a boy when it comes to dealing with women

3. See old boy

4. informal a group of men, esp a group of friends

5. derogatory (esp in former colonial territories) a Black person or native male servant of any age

6. a jockey or apprentice

7. short for boyfriend

8. youthful indiscretion or exuberance must be expected and tolerated

9. informal appointment of one's supporters to posts, without reference to their qualifications or ability

10. informal the right tool for a particular task

    that's the boy to cut it

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interjection

1. an exclamation of surprise, pleasure, contempt, etc

   boy, is he going to be sorry!

boy Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing boy

• fair-haired boy
• mama's boy
• separate the men from the boys
• whipping boy

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Sensitive Note

During the slavery and Jim Crow eras, white southerners would use the term boy to refer to or address a Black adult male, implying that Black people were inferior. In the meaning “native male servant,” boy was originally used in colonial territories and in the ports of China, Japan, etc., through which trade with foreign countries was permitted by special treaty.

Usage

Where does the word boy come from? Like girl, boy dates back to around 1250–1300. Also like the word girl, the ultimate origin of the word boy is obscure. There are some clues to the roots of boy, however. It might be based on the Old English Bōia, a male given name. Furthermore, boy is related to the Frisian boi, "young man," and the German Bube, "knave, boy, lad." (Frisian, a language spoken in the northern Netherlands, is the Germanic language most closely related to English.) Interestingly, that German sense of "knave" is close in meaning to “male servant,” one of the earliest uses of boy. Boy isn't alone: it finds lots of company in other English words that seem simple but whose origins are not. Discover more in our slideshow “‘Dog,’ ‘Boy,’ And Other Words That We Don’t Know Where They Came From."

Etymology

Origin of boy

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English boy(e), perhaps after Old English Bōia a man's name; cognate with Frisian boi “young man”; akin to Old English bōfa, Old Norse bōfi, Old High German Buobo a man's name ( German Bube “knave” (dialectal “boy, lad”)

Explanation

A boy is a male child. When a baby is born, the doctor or midwife often says, "It's a girl!" or "It's a boy!" A boy usually grows up to be a man, just as a girl most often becomes a woman. A delivery boy is a young man whose job involves taking pizzas to people's homes, and you might call to your dog, "Here, boy!" unless your dog is female. Boy is also an exclamation: "Oh boy! I can't wait for my vacation next week!" The Old English root is boie, "boy," but also "servant" or "commoner."

Example Sentences

A 17-year-old boy and 19-year-old man have been arrested over an arson attack aimed at a synagogue in north-west London, the Metropolitan Police has said.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

Meghan also showed her warmth, whether listening intently and compassionately to survivors of the Bondi Beach attack, or telling a young boy how much her children loved the Australian book Diary of a Wombat.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

If Artemisia’s dramatic images announced her admiration for Caravaggio’s innovations, her dramatic personal history rivaled that of the bad boy of the Baroque, although, unlike him, she didn’t murder anyone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The hurt and humiliation behind Hally’s eyes allow us to adopt Sam’s sympathetic attitude toward the boy, even as Beatty refuses to soften the character’s wrathful entitlement.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

No boy would, so this rule was aimed at you-know-who.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• child
• kid
• little one
• young one
• youngster
• youth