boyfriend

noun

boy·​friend ˈbȯi-ˌfrend How to pronounce boyfriend (audio)
1
: a male friend
2
: a frequent or regular male companion in a romantic or sexual relationship

Examples of boyfriend in a Sentence

My boyfriend and I have only been dating for a couple of months. her boyfriend always brings her flowers for Valentine's Day
Recent Examples on the Web Previous reader questions have been about worries for a daughter dating someone much older, finding hope after being cheated on and whether a boyfriend’s disdain for dogs is a dealbreaker. Haben Kelati, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 America's boyfriend, 54, has a touch of gray in his beard now, only deepening his universal appeal. Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024 Elijah's mother and her boyfriend have been charged Elijah’s mother, Katerina Baur, 31, and her boyfriend, Jesse Vang, 39, have been charged in connection with felony child neglect, according to previous USA TODAY reporting. Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 Jin has a boyfriend, Raj (Saamer Usmani), who isn’t part of the gang, but as a naval officer will have a part to play in the drama. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 In the animations, Lola’s mental landscape is laid out, with baby iconography and relatives and friends and boyfriend all competing for attention, as versions of Lola attempt to navigate her thoughts around potential motherhood. Catherine Bray, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024 The boyfriend walked away with a potential love interest and a $20,000 payment from Kai. Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2024 Grande began dating her current boyfriend and Wicked costar Ethan Slater before her divorce was finalized. Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024 The film, which premiered at SXSW and counts Kansas City Chiefs tight end (and Taylor Swift boyfriend) Travis Kelce among its producers, is an honest effort to bring complicated veteran stories to the screen. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'boyfriend.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of boyfriend was in 1822

Dictionary Entries Near boyfriend

Cite this Entry

“Boyfriend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boyfriend. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

boyfriend

noun
boy·​friend ˈbȯi-ˌfrend How to pronounce boyfriend (audio)
1
: a male friend
2
: a frequent or regular male companion in a romantic relationship

More from Merriam-Webster on boyfriend

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