boyfriend

American  

[boi-frend] / ˈbɔɪˌfrɛnd /

noun

1. a frequent or favorite male companion; beau.

2. a male friend.

3. a male lover.

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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

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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.

Example Sentences

Pratt rose to prominence in 2007 when he joined the cast of The Hills, a spin-off of the MTV reality show Laguna Beach, as the boyfriend of Heidi Montag.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

Sophia Lopez first discovered the “Backrooms” world in fan-made games on Roblox and saw the movie with her boyfriend in Glendale, Calif.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

Impacciatore: A couple of days ago I was fighting with my boyfriend and it was a very bad fight and I really wanted him to understand my reasons.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026

The teenager claimed that her boyfriend had gone up alone to the sand dune where the trio were, but Turley was not there initially.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

Calista could make friends with an empty tin can—that’s what she told me her boyfriend said about her.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

Related Words

• beau
• companion
• friend
• partner
• suitor
• sweetheart
• young man