Meaning & use
fratboys
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“fratboys” is a form of “fratboy”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounpluralinformalAmericandisapproving
Young men in a university fraternity, especially when seen as loud, privileged or fond of drinking and partying.
Grammar: Plural of fratboy; it is usually a teasing or critical label.
The fratboys on our street held another noisy party last night.
She rolled her eyes at the fratboys in matching shirts.
Some people mock the fratboys, but many join the fraternity to volunteer.
Word forms
| singular | fratboy |
|---|
Common combinations
- a group of fratboys
- A group of fratboys played music on the lawn.
- loud fratboys
- The loud fratboys kept the neighbors awake.
- typical fratboys
- They looked like typical fratboys in their caps.
- fratboy humor
- The comedy relied on tired fratboy humor.
- fratboy culture
- The article criticized fratboy culture on campus.
Synonyms and how they differ
- frat brothers
- Frat brothers simply means fellow members of a fraternity and carries no mockery.
- frat guys
- Frat guys is similar, but a bit lighter and less critical.
- jocks
- Jocks refers to sporty students, not necessarily fraternity members.
Word family
- fratboy noun
- one such young man
- frat noun
- informal short form of fraternity
- fraternity noun
- a social club for male university students
- fraternal adjective
- relating to brothers
Commonly confused: fratboys or fraternity?
fratboys vs fraternity
A fraternity is the club itself, while fratboys are mocked members of it.
Practice
The campus newspaper joked about the loud ___ who held parties every weekend.
Choose one answer.
Fratboys is the teasing term for fraternity men known for partying. Professors and librarians are not linked to that stereotype.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fratboys”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.