bad boy

noun

: a person who flouts convention
a literary bad boy

Examples of bad boy in a Sentence

He has become known as the bad boy of the American television industry.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The book follows the relationship between Canadian sweetheart Shane Hollander and Russian bad boy Ilya Rosanov. Janey Wetzel, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026 As opposed to the first film, where a good girl falls for a bad boy, the sequel turns the concept upside down, with Pfeiffer playing the bad girl who falls for a good boy. Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2026 After starring as Aquaman for the previous DC regime, Jason Momoa joins Alcock as comics bad boy Lobo. Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 26 June 2026 But recruiting violations and off-court misconduct — such as unpaid telephone bills and hotel charges — led the national media to portray the Runnin’ Rebels as college hoops’ bad boys. Brendan Marks, New York Times, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for bad boy

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bad boy was in 1860

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bad boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bad%20boy. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster