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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.

It was inspired by "a friend of mine who'd just broken up with her boyfriend," she explains.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

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

Fernandez’s boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, was sentenced to death in 2018, and his automatic appeal petition is currently pending in California Supreme Court.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

She discovered that her boyfriend did more dishes—but she took out the trash more often and did more cleaning.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Then I started to wonder how come someone so smart like Calista would have a boyfriend who was a real idiot.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

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.