Meaning & use
ex bf
Last updated
UK/ˌeks ˈbiː ef/
US/ˌeks ˈbiː ef/
Meaning
nouncountableinformal
A former boyfriend; a boy or man someone used to date romantically.
Grammar: Countable noun: you can say 'an ex bf' or 'two ex bfs' (though the plural is rare).
Patterns
- someone's ex bf
- an ex bf
She posted a photo with her ex bf from high school.
I ran into my ex bf at the coffee shop yesterday.
He's not my boyfriend anymore—he's my ex bf.
Word forms
| plural | ex bfs |
|---|
Common combinations
- my ex bf
- My ex bf still texts me sometimes.
- her ex bf
- Her ex bf moved to another city.
- an ex bf
- She's looking for an ex bf on social media.
- ex bf drama
- There's always ex bf drama in that group.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ex-boyfriend
- The standard, more formal spelling; use this in writing that isn't casual.
- former boyfriend
- More formal and neutral; often used in official or polite contexts.
Word family
Commonly confused: ex bf or ex-gf?
ex bf vs ex-gf
The female equivalent; 'ex bf' is for a male ex-partner.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'ex bf' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The simple past 'saw' with 'last night' needs no extra preposition. The other options add unnecessary or wrong words.
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