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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

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.

I had so much built-up anxiety about facing my own numbers, but seeing my boyfriend lay his cards on the table gave me the courage to finally log in and look at mine.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

For Cox, who was working full time in engineering and pursuing an MBA while her boyfriend was completing his medical residency, creating an ultra-compacted itinerary was the only possible way to travel.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

Loewen Cavill, 28 years old, says she and her boyfriend used to wonder which partner pulled more weight around the house, so they used AI to start tracking the domestic labor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Maria Magdalena Callejas, her boyfriend and her 14-year-old son were detained in Texas while on a road trip last spring.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

And since Rhys is my boyfriend, he takes priority, doesn’t he?

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

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.