Boyfriends

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A male individual who engages in a romantic or intimate relationship with someone
2. An important male companion with whom one shares a romantic bond
3. A man involved in a romantic relationship with someone

Etymology: "Boyfriends" is simply the plural of "boyfriend," so it describes more than one man in a romantic relationship with someone. The singular is a compound of "boy" and "friend," two very old English words. "Boy" traces back through Middle English "boye" and Old English "bōia," with roots reaching far into the Germanic past, while "friend" comes from Old English "frēond," a word that has long meant someone bound by affection. The combination puts a youthful noun beside a warm one, and the pairing is a plain, transparent formation rather than a borrowing or a coinage with a famous author. Its meaning is set by its parts: a boy who is a friend in the romantic sense, which explains why the term reads as informal and affectionate rather than formal.

Synonyms: partners, lovers, companions, suitors, mates

Antonyms: girlfriends, exes, frenemies, acquaintances, strangers