Meaning & use
frat boys
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“frat boys” is a form of “frat boy”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounpluralinformalAmerican
Young men who belong to a college fraternity, often seen as loud, heavy-drinking partygoers.
Grammar: Always plural; the singular is 'frat boy', used for one such young man.
Patterns
- a group of frat boys
- the frat boys next door
- typical frat boys
The frat boys from the house down the street threw a huge party on Saturday.
She rolled her eyes at the frat boys shouting across the quad.
In the movie, a shy student is befriended by a group of frat boys.
nounpluraldisapprovinginformal
Used as a disapproving label for men who behave in a rowdy, entitled, or immature way.
Grammar: Plural noun; used mainly by critics, so it usually carries a negative tone.
Patterns
- act like frat boys
- a bunch of frat boys
The critics said the managers were acting like frat boys on a night out.
He complained that the new hires behaved like frat boys in the office.
Word forms
| singular | frat boy |
|---|
Common combinations
- a group of frat boys
- A group of frat boys blocked the sidewalk outside the bar.
- act like frat boys
- The visiting team acted like frat boys after the game.
- typical frat boys
- They were typical frat boys, loud and always ready to party.
- frat boys on campus
- The frat boys on campus organized a charity fundraiser.
- rowdy frat boys
- Rowdy frat boys kept the neighbors awake until three in the morning.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fraternity brothers
- More neutral and formal; it simply states membership without the mocking tone that 'frat boys' often carries.
- brothers
- Used inside a fraternity for members of the same house; neutral and affectionate rather than critical.
Word family
- frat noun
- Informal short form of 'fraternity', the college social club itself.
- fraternity noun
- The full, neutral word for the college men's organization.
- sorority noun
- The matching organization for women students.
Commonly confused: frat boys or sorority girls? frat boys or frat boy?
frat boys vs sorority girls
Refers to female members of a college sorority; 'frat boys' is only for men.
frat boys vs frat boy
The singular form for one member; 'frat boys' is the plural for several.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'frat boys' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Frat boys' is plural, so it fits 'The frat boys hosted...'. The other options use it with a singular subject or article, which needs the singular 'frat boy'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “frat boys”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.