# boy

/ˈbɔɪ/ (US) · /bˈɔɪ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/boy
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. male child

noun · CEFR A1

a male child or a young man.

For teachers: a male child or adolescent; often used to distinguish by gender or age.

- The young boy played with his toy cars on the living room rug.
- The local primary school reported a significant increase in the number of boys enrolling for the new music programme this semester.

### 2. son

noun · CEFR A1

your male child, no matter how old he is.

For teachers: a male offspring of any age; used as a kinship term.

- She is very proud of her boy, who just started university.
- Even though he was nearly forty, his mother still referred to him as her baby boy during family gatherings.

### 3. male friend

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

a male friend or a man you work with.

For teachers: a male peer, friend, or associate; frequently used in the plural to refer to a social group.

- I am going out for dinner with the boys from work tonight.
- After the match, the boys headed to the local pub to celebrate their unexpected victory over the league leaders.

### 5. subordinate or servant

noun · CEFR C1 · Archaic · Formal

a man who works for someone else, often in a lower position.

For teachers: a male servant, assistant, or employee; often carries historical or status-based connotations.

- In the old movie, the office boy delivered the mail to every desk.
- The historical archives describe the role of the cabin boy, who performed menial tasks aboard nineteenth-century merchant vessels.

Usage: In many modern contexts, using this to refer to an adult man is considered offensive or belittling.

Teaching tip: This sense is largely historical; using it for adult staff in modern English is often seen as racist or demeaning.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.