boy
boy
Boy (noun) means a male child or young man. Example: “The boy ran ahead of his parents toward the playground.”
noun
1
A male child or young man.
"The boy ran ahead of his parents toward the playground."
"She has two boys and a girl."
"The boy waved at the bus as it drove past the school."
interjection
1
Used to express surprise, delight, or strong feeling.
"Boy, am I glad that exam is finally over!"
"Oh boy, this cake looks absolutely wonderful!"
"Boy, that was a close call!"
How to use boy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA young male person, or (informally) an exclamation of surprise.
Common pairings
a young boy
boy oh boy
good boy
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Word forms
- Plural
- boys, boyz
- Third person singular
- boys
- Past tense
- boyed
Fill the gap
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The _____ ran ahead of his parents toward the playground.
Etymology
From Middle English "boy" (servant, young man), traced back to a Germanic root referring to a younger brother or male relation.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for boy
See all rhymes for boy →Frequently asked questions
What does “boy” mean?
The word “boy” means a male child or young man. In plain terms, a young male person, or (informally) an exclamation of surprise.
How do you pronounce “boy”?
“Boy” is pronounced boy (/bɔɪ/ in IPA).
How do you use “boy” in a sentence?
Here is “boy” used in a sentence: “The boy ran ahead of his parents toward the playground.”
What is another word for “boy”?
Words with a similar meaning to “boy” include manservant, bhoy, boyo, boykin, callant and chav.
What is the opposite of “boy”?
The opposite of “boy” — its antonyms — are girl and man.
What part of speech is “boy”?
Depending on how it is used, “boy” can be a noun and an interjection.
Where does the word “boy” come from?
The word “boy” comes from Middle English. From Middle English "boy" (servant, young man), traced back to a Germanic root referring to a younger brother or male relation.
Is “boy” a common word?
“Boy” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
What is the difference between a boy and a man?
A boy is a male who is still a child or in his youth; a man is an adult male. The distinction is mostly age and maturity — boyhood spans childhood and the teenage years, while manhood begins at adulthood. Casually, 'boy' can also be an affectionate term for a grown male among friends.
What is the opposite of 'boy'?
It depends on the contrast you're drawing. By gender, the opposite is 'girl' — a female child or young woman. By age, the opposite is 'man' — an adult male. Choose 'girl' when you're contrasting male with female, and 'man' when you're contrasting youth with adulthood.
At what age is someone a boy rather than a man?
There's no fixed cutoff. 'Boy' generally covers infancy through the teenage years, and 'man' takes over around adulthood, often eighteen. Usage stays flexible: legally the shift sits near eighteen, but socially people may be called boys or men earlier or later depending on maturity, tone, and context.
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