Word
boyhood
Phoneticsboy·hood, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈbɔɪˌhʊd/
UK/bˈɔɪhʊd/
Countable & uncountable
Definition
n. the time in a person's life when they are a young boy. It describes the years before someone becomes an adult man.
n. the period or state of being a boy, typically spanning from early childhood to the onset of adolescence.
Examples
“He spent his boyhood living in a small village by the sea.”
“Many of his novels are based on his boyhood experiences growing up in industrial London during the 1950s.”
“The memoir captures the bittersweet transition from the innocence of boyhood to the complex responsibilities of adulthood with remarkable emotional clarity.”
Examples
simple
“He spent his boyhood living in a small village by the sea.”
contextual
“Many of his novels are based on his boyhood experiences growing up in industrial London during the 1950s.”
complex
“The memoir captures the bittersweet transition from the innocence of boyhood to the complex responsibilities of adulthood with remarkable emotional clarity.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the state or period in general; countable when referring to a specific person's experience of that time.
Real-World Examples
“He left for his boyhood club Borussia Dortmund in 2024 for £8m - but in a surprise move he returned to Albion in January for about £1.7m.” “Can the boy from Stockport dovetail with Rayan Cherki and once more pull the strings for his boyhood side?” Etymology
From boy + -hood.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
The word in film
Boyhood · 2014 · Drama
- Directed by:
- Richard Linklater
- Starring:
- Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane
Director Richard Linklater filmed this drama over twelve years to show the real growth of a child into a young man. The story captures the small moments and big changes that happen during this specific stage of a male's life.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/boyhood