boy

/bɔi/

Thân thiện

A boy plays with a red ball in the sunny park.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A male child or young man: A boy is a male human being from birth through childhood and adolescence.
   • A son: A male offspring in relation to his parents.
   • A male servant or attendant (dated/offensive): Historically used to refer to a male servant, often in a demeaning context.
   • A man, especially when referred to in a friendly or familiar way: Used informally among men to refer to themselves or their peers.
   • (Ethnic slur) An offensive and disparaging term for a Black man: A deeply offensive term rooted in racism and historical oppression.

Usage Examples

• Referring to a male child:
  • The little boy was playing in the park.
  • They have two children: a girl and a boy.
• Referring to a son:
  • Their eldest boy is studying medicine.
  • He's a proud father of three boys.
• Informal reference to a man (often plural):
  • He's going out for a drink with the boys.
  • That's my boy! He finally got the promotion!
• Historical/Offensive use (servant):
  • In the 19th century, a wealthy household might have employed a boot boy. (This usage is now considered archaic and offensive.)

Advanced Usage

• "Big boy": Can refer to a large or important person/thing, or be used condescendingly.
  • Time to put on your big boy pants and deal with the problem. (Figurative, meaning to act maturely.)
• "Boy" as an interjection: Used to express excitement, surprise, or emphasis.
  • Boy, that was a close call!
  • Oh boy, here we go again.

Variants and Related Words

• Boyhood (n): The state or period of being a boy.
  • He spent his boyhood in the countryside.
• Boyish (adj): Characteristic of or resembling a boy, often in a pleasant way (e.g., enthusiasm, appearance).
  • She has a boyish grin.
• Boyfriend (n): A regular male companion in a romantic or sexual relationship.
  • She introduced her boyfriend to her parents.

Synonyms

• Lad: A boy or young man (common in British English).
• Youth: A young male person.
• Son: A male child in relation to his parents.
• Kid (informal): A child or young person.

Important Note on Offensive Usage

The use of "boy" to address a Black man or any grown man in a position of service is a severe racial and social slur. It is used to demean, infantilize, and assert dominance. This usage is unacceptable and should never be employed.

Học thuật

Noun

1. (ethnic slur) offensive and disparaging term for Black man
   • get out of my way, boy
2. a male human offspring
   • their son became a famous judge
   • his boy is taller than he is
3. a friendly informal reference to a grown man
   • he likes to play golf with the boys
4. a youthful male person
   • the baby was a boy
   • she made the boy brush his teeth every night
   • most soldiers are only boys in uniform

Từ đồng nghĩa

• son
• male child