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.
Just one of these bad boys can keep the hungriest sports fans going strong. — Natalie Hoy, Southern Living, 16 May 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 Blowing up the asteroid by packing a hopper full of off-brand TNT and then wiring it up to explode after the pilots zip over to another hopper and flying that bad boy back to Mars? — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 15 May 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

Rhymes for bad boy

See All Rhymes for bad boy

Browse Nearby Words

bad books
bad boy
bad breath
See all 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.

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