boy

noun

ˈbȯi How to pronounce boy (audio)
Definition of boynext
1
as in kid
a male person who has not yet reached adulthood a giggling little boy ran by

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in boyfriend
a male romantic companion their teenaged daughter has a new boy, and she's just crazy about him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of boy In May 2023, a boy walked into his elementary school in Belgrade and shot dead nine fellow students and a security guard. — Gazela Pudar Drasko, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026 Set on a mysterious island ravaged by floods and warring armies, a masked boy and girl must traverse atmospheric environments, rescue friends, and confront nightmarish monsters. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026 Religious schools for teen boys and married men receive government payments for each student. — Hannah Ridge, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026 The microbudget drama had just wrapped its final shot, managing to complete the controversial story of a cam boy and his pedophile client in 11 days and for just $45,000. — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for boy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boy
  1. kid
  2. boyfriend
  3. teenager
  4. beau
  5. lad
  6. adolescent
  7. toddler
Noun
  • The South is cheapest for young kids For families with young children, annual costs are lowest across much of the South.
    — Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • When Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stopped in London in 2024, the Prince of Wales wanted a photo with his kids and the world-famous singer.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of kid
Noun
  • Rashaun married her boyfriend Kyle Rehn on Valentine’s Day this year.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The 51-year-old former reality star took to TikTok on Thursday to celebrate her boyfriend Steve Neild’s birthday, and got support from her fans in the comments section.
    — Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of boyfriend
Noun
  • Kendall teaches children and teenagers to break down anxiety-provoking situations, such as finding friends to sit with in the cafeteria or asking someone for a date, into smaller steps and planning what to do if something goes wrong.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Gilligan was 15 when he was diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma, which is rare for teenagers but with a higher recovery rate.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of teenager
Noun
  • The Tennessee native married her Teen Mom costar and longtime beau Taylor McKinney in October 2016.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Still, Kardashian will reportedly continue showing up for her new beau.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of beau
Noun
  • How do two middle-class lads in ratty threads, who might very well have both been played by Robert Pattinson, fast-track an appointment with Jesus?
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Marcus, however, showed a lot of grit and guts for a lad who was not expected to triumph.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of lad
Noun
  • Ariel Gutiérrez’s intimate coming-of-age drama examines how sudden loss can force an adolescent to confront fear, responsibility and the possibility of rebuilding a life after trauma.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Getty An island that had spent decades pairing glamour with license was perhaps the wrong place to entrust an adolescent to unusually permissive relatives.
    — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of adolescent
Noun
  • Mystery is surrounding the deaths of a toddler and his two grandparents after the three of them were discovered dead by investigators.
    — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • An Overland Park mother who authorities charged with murder in the 2023 death of her 1-year-old child, alleging the toddler was malnourished and neglected, has pleaded no contest to a group of charges.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of toddler

Phrases Containing boy

Browse Nearby Words

boxy
boy
boychick
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Cite this Entry

“Boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boy. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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