boy
/bɔɪ/ (bre, ipa) · /bɔɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbȯi/ (ame, mw)
boy — noun
1. a child or teenager who is male, or sometimes a young man.
a child or teenager who is male, or sometimes a young man.
Aiko waved to the shy boy waiting by the school gate.
boy referring to a male child in a concrete scene
The doctor said the baby boy was healthy and strong.
common collocation: baby boy
Two older boys helped Wen carry his bike up the stairs.
As a small boy, Ravi loved drawing buses on scrap paper.
- girl
female child or teenager
文法句型
boy + age/size word
as a boy
用法筆記
Usually refers to a child or teenager. Distinguish from sense 5, where 'the boys' can mean adult male friends.
2. someone's male child, especially when a parent or family member is talking about
someone's male child, especially when a parent or family member is talking about him.
Priya has two boys, and both play the violin after school.
family use: have + number + boys
Omar phoned his mother to say her boy had passed the test.
parent's point of view: her boy
The farmer walked home with his youngest boy after sunset.
Mrs. Chen packed lunch for both boys before the early bus.
- daughter
female child in relation to a parent
文法句型
have + number + boys
my/her/their boy
用法筆記
Used from a parent's or family's point of view. Distinguish from sense 1, which simply names a male child without the family relationship.
常見錯誤
3. an informal word for a male friend, or for a group of men you know well.
an informal word for a male friend, or for a group of men you know well.
The boys from college meet every August at the same beach house.
informal plural: the boys
After work, Omar grabbed noodles with the boys from his team.
with the boys = with male friends
Come on, boys, the taxi is here and we're late already.
Nadia laughed when her uncle said, 'Ask one of the boys downstairs.'
文法句型
the boys
with the boys
one of the boys
用法筆記
Often plural. It works best for your own male friends or a familiar group; about unrelated adult men, it can sound too casual or patronizing.
常見錯誤
4. used after another noun for a young male worker, as in 'office boy' or 'delivery
used after another noun for a young male worker, as in 'office boy' or 'delivery boy'; using it for an adult man is now offensive.
The hotel sent a bellboy upstairs with Hana's heavy suitcases.
compound job title: bellboy
At sixteen, Yusuf worked as a delivery boy for the bakery.
pattern: work as a delivery boy
The old manager still says office boy, which sounds rude today.
A sign sought a stable boy to help feed the horses.
- boss
person in charge rather than a junior worker
文法句型
noun + boy
work as a/the ... boy
用法筆記
Usually appears inside older or fixed job titles. Using 'boy' on its own for an adult male worker can sound insulting or racist.
常見錯誤
5. someone described through the place or background he comes from, such as a Londo
someone described through the place or background he comes from, such as a London boy or a farm boy.
Diego is a London boy who still supports the same club.
place name + boy
To her classmates, Sven was the farm boy from northern Jutland.
background label: farm boy
The article described Jin as a Seoul boy with big city confidence.
Though he lives abroad now, Tariq is still a Cairo boy to his cousins.
- outsider
someone not from that place or group
文法句型
place/background word + boy
用法筆記
Most often follows a place or background word. Distinguish from sense 1: the key idea here is origin or social background, not age.
6. a warm, approving name for the soldiers of your own country.
a warm, approving name for the soldiers of your own country.
Families gathered at the station to cheer the boys heading north.
the boys referring affectionately to soldiers
The old poster asked everyone to send warm socks to our boys.
fixed phrase: our boys
At the memorial, the mayor spoke proudly about the boys overseas.
Newspapers called the pilots our boys after the first victory.
- troops
neutral and standard military term
- servicemen
more formal and explicitly male
- forces
broader, often including the whole military
- enemy
the opposing side rather than your own soldiers
文法句型
our boys
the boys + place adverb
用法筆記
Usually plural and often preceded by 'our'. The speaker is showing loyalty, sympathy, or pride toward soldiers on their own side.
7. a man viewed as behaving in the rough, playful, or simple way people often assoc
a man viewed as behaving in the rough, playful, or simple way people often associate with men.
At the barbecue, the boys argued happily about which knife was best.
comment on stereotypically male behaviour
When the shelf fell, the boys all tried to fix it without reading the guide.
boys used for a stereotyped male reaction
Leila sighed, 'Boys always turn a quiet game into a contest.'
During the trip, the boys kept comparing watches and hiking shoes.
- woman
adult female person
文法句型
boys + plural verb in general comments
用法筆記
Common in jokes, complaints, or broad comments about male behaviour. It often leans on stereotype, so use it carefully.
8. a deeply racist and outdated label for a Black adult male, often used by white e
a deeply racist and outdated label for a Black adult male, often used by white employers or officials in the past.
The teacher explained that boy in that 1930 letter is a racist insult.
historical explanation of a racist use
A museum note warned visitors that employers once used boy to belittle Black workers.
boy used to demean Black workers
The actor objected when the script had the sheriff say boy to a Black waiter.
In class, Dr. Okafor said the word boy could show racist condescension.
文法句型
call someone boy
say boy to someone
用法筆記
Historical and racist. Do not use this word for a person. When it appears in books, films, or records, it usually needs explanation rather than repetition.
常見錯誤
boy — exclamation
1. said at the beginning of a sentence when you feel strongly about something, or w
said at the beginning of a sentence when you feel strongly about something, or when you want extra force before what you say next.
Boy, that soup is hot enough to burn your tongue.
Boy, + statement showing strong feeling
Boy, I hope the last bus has not left yet.
Boy, + clause showing worry
Boy, was Aunt Rosa angry about the muddy footprints.
Boy, what a storm we had after midnight.
文法句型
Boy, + clause
Boy, was + subject + adjective!
用法筆記
Usually comes at the start of a sentence and is followed by a comma in writing. It strengthens the whole statement rather than naming a male child.