Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for boyfriend. Search instead for boyfriend grabs.
Synonyms

boyfriend

American  
[boi-frend] / ˈbɔɪˌfrɛnd /

noun

  1. a frequent or favorite male companion; beau.

  2. a male friend.

  3. a male lover.

adjective

  1. pertaining to or noting clothing and accessories for women that are inspired by men's fashions.

    roomy and comfortable boyfriend jeans;

    an oversize boyfriend watch.
boyfriend British  
/ ˈbɔɪˌfrɛnd /

noun

  1. a male friend with whom a person is romantically or sexually involved; sweetheart or lover

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of boyfriend

First recorded in 1895–1900; boy + friend

Explanation

A boyfriend is a male romantic partner. Your cousin might ask if she can bring her boyfriend to the family Thanksgiving dinner this year. Usually, your boyfriend is a boy or man you're romantically involved with. Your aunt might join a dating site after breaking up with her boyfriend, and your ten year old neighbor might announce she has a boyfriend after a boy leaves a candy bar on her desk. The words boyfriend and girlfriend first appeared in the early 1900s, around the start of modern dating in the US.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The “Brown boy” in reference was the colleague’s boyfriend whom Rana knew, a person familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

There is a photo of Saar with singer Len Chandler, her boyfriend at the time, and he’s wearing a custom leather vest she made for him.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

When my boyfriend and I discussed our finances ahead of the big move, we had already been dating for two years.

From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026

Her mother told reporters that her daughter had a boyfriend named David.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

Mostly when she calls it’s late at night, and she wants to talk about her boyfriend problems.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.