playboy

American  

[pley-boi] / ˈpleɪˌbɔɪ /

noun

playboys plural

1. a man who pursues a life of pleasure without responsibility or attachments, especially one who is of comfortable means.

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playboy British  

/ ˈpleɪˌbɔɪ /

noun

1. a man, esp one of private means, who devotes himself to the pleasures of nightclubs, expensive holiday resorts, female company, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• playboys
  plural

Etymology

Origin of playboy

First recorded in 1620–30; play + boy

Example Sentences

Ernst returns to Tokyo, now fronting as a playboy plutocrat to mask his espionage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026

"As far as everybody's concerned, you're a playboy," she told him, accusing him of "parading" his relationships with people including British supermodel Naomi Campbell.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026

Before that date he was “millionaire playboy Jeffrey Epstein.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

But since he was a young man, he has been obsessed with creating a macho image, inventing the persona of a high-flying playboy and king of the New York real estate world.

From Salon • Jun. 20, 2025

He had a bevy of female admirers — but also a coterie of critics, who considered him a dandy and a playboy.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela