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Boyfriend vs Friends - What's the difference?

boyfriend | friends |

As nouns the difference between boyfriend and friends

is that boyfriend is a male partner in a romantic relationship while friends is .

As a proper noun friends is

the quakers; the.

boyfriend

English

Alternative forms

* boy friend (dated)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A male partner in a romantic relationship.
  • * 2012 , (Justin Bieber), Boyfriend
  • If I was your boyfriend , I’d never let you go
    I can take you places you ain’t never been before.
  • A male friend.
  • Synonyms

    * (male friend) guyfriend (slang)

    Usage notes

    In contrast to its female equivalent, girlfriend, which is often used to describe a woman's close female friends, the term is not that often used in reference to non-romantic relationships. Boyfriend is a relatively modern term, and in the past has had implications of an illicit relationship (as sexual and romantic relationships outside marriage were generally frowned upon). It is now a generally accepted term and has no negative implications. Use of boyfriend generally implies that the male is a boy or a young man. An older man in a non-marital relationship and sometimes even a young man in a long-term relationship is more often described as a significant other or partner. Separating the word into its two components boy friend'' avoids the romantic implication nowadays, although ''boy friend'' used to mean the same as ''boyfriend does now. However, British and Australian men usually refer to a male friend as a mate. Similarly, Americans and Canadians use the term buddy.

    See also

    * * girlfriend * husband * lover * significant other ----

    friends

    English

    Noun

    (head)
  • Participants in a two-way friendship relationship.
  • I tried to be a friend to Jane but we never ''really'' made friends . She was never a friend to me.
    Jane and I made friends right away.
    We became''' friends in the war and remain ' friends to this day.
    We were friends''' with some girls from the other school and stayed '''friends with them.

    Usage notes

    * We usually make a friend'', or ''make friends with someone. See

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