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Meaning & use

fanboy

noun·Everydayinformaldisapproving

Last updated

UK/ˈfænbɔɪ/
US/ˈfænbɔɪ/
Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.

Meaning

  1. nouncountableinformaldisapproving

    A boy or man who is extremely enthusiastic about a particular subject, celebrity, or product, often in an uncritical way.

    Grammar: Countable: a fanboy, two fanboys. Often used with 'of' or 'for'.

    Patterns

    • a fanboy of something
    • a fanboy for someone
    • fanboy culture

    He is such a fanboy of that superhero series that he owns every comic.

    The new phone attracted fanboys who waited in line for hours.

    She laughed at the fanboys arguing online about the best game console.

Word forms

pluralfanboys

Common combinations

fanboy of
He is a fanboy of the director and has seen all her films.
fanboy culture
Fanboy culture can sometimes lead to heated online arguments.
total fanboy
When the new game came out, he was a total fanboy and played it all weekend.

Synonyms and how they differ

enthusiast
Neutral and positive; a fanboy is often seen as uncritical or obsessive.
fan
General and neutral; 'fanboy' adds a teasing or disapproving tone.
devotee
More formal and serious, often used for someone devoted to a cause or religion.

Opposites

criticdetractor

Word family

fan noun
A person who likes and supports someone or something.
fangirl noun
The female equivalent, also informal and sometimes disapproving.
fanboyish adjective
Behaving like a fanboy; uncritically enthusiastic.

Commonly confused: fanboy or fan?

fanboy vs fan

'Fan' is neutral; 'fanboy' suggests excessive or uncritical enthusiasm and can be an insult.

Practice

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