"softboy" meaning in English

See softboy in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: softboys [plural], softboi [alternative], soft boy [alternative]
Etymology: Univerbation of soft + boy. Etymology templates: {{univerbation|en|soft|boy}} Univerbation of soft + boy Head templates: {{en-noun}} softboy (plural softboys)
  1. (informal, often derogatory) A man who is not traditionally masculine, but willing to show emotion and to wear feminine or androgynous clothing. Tags: derogatory, informal, often Related terms: softhearted, softy
    Sense id: en-softboy-en-noun-gYMbM~rv Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English univerbations, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Male people Coordinate_terms: bading [Philippines], big girl's blouse [Australia, Ireland, New-Zealand, UK, derogatory], cockney [obsolete], cot-quean [derogatory, obsolete], cupcake [slang], dudelet [archaic, derogatory], fakaleiti, fairy [derogatory], femboy, gentleman [derogatory], ginch [Australia, Ireland, New-Zealand, UK, slang], girl's blouse [derogatory, slang], girlyman [derogatory, slang], janegirl [rare], jessie [dated], nancy [derogatory, slang], nancyboy [derogatory, slang], nancy pants, pansy [derogatory], Percy [derogatory, slang], poof [Commonwealth, derogatory], poofter [Commonwealth, dated, derogatory], posy sniffer [derogatory, slang], pretty boy, puss-gentleman [obsolete], quiche-eater [idiomatic], sissy [derogatory], softling [archaic], soy boy [derogatory, slang], swish [derogatory, slang], twink [derogatory, slang], zenana [South-Asia]

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "soft",
        "3": "boy"
      },
      "expansion": "Univerbation of soft + boy",
      "name": "univerbation"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Univerbation of soft + boy.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "softboys",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "softboi",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "soft boy",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "softboy (plural softboys)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English univerbations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Male people",
          "orig": "en:Male people",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "coordinate_terms": [
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "Philippines"
          ],
          "word": "bading"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "Australia",
            "Ireland",
            "New-Zealand",
            "UK",
            "derogatory"
          ],
          "word": "big girl's blouse"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "obsolete"
          ],
          "word": "cockney"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "obsolete"
          ],
          "word": "cot-quean"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "cupcake"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "archaic",
            "derogatory"
          ],
          "word": "dudelet"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "word": "fakaleiti"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory"
          ],
          "word": "fairy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "word": "femboy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory"
          ],
          "word": "gentleman"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "Australia",
            "Ireland",
            "New-Zealand",
            "UK",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "ginch"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "girl's blouse"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "girlyman"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "rare"
          ],
          "word": "janegirl"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "dated"
          ],
          "word": "jessie"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "nancy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "nancyboy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "word": "nancy pants"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory"
          ],
          "word": "pansy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "Percy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "Commonwealth",
            "derogatory"
          ],
          "word": "poof"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "Commonwealth",
            "dated",
            "derogatory"
          ],
          "word": "poofter"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "posy sniffer"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "word": "pretty boy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "obsolete"
          ],
          "word": "puss-gentleman"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "idiomatic"
          ],
          "word": "quiche-eater"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory"
          ],
          "word": "sissy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "archaic"
          ],
          "word": "softling"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "soy boy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "swish"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "twink"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "South-Asia"
          ],
          "word": "zenana"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A man who is not traditionally masculine, but willing to show emotion and to wear feminine or androgynous clothing."
      ],
      "id": "en-softboy-en-noun-gYMbM~rv",
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "masculine",
          "masculine"
        ],
        [
          "emotion",
          "emotion"
        ],
        [
          "feminine",
          "feminine"
        ],
        [
          "androgynous",
          "androgynous"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal, often derogatory) A man who is not traditionally masculine, but willing to show emotion and to wear feminine or androgynous clothing."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "softhearted"
        },
        {
          "word": "softy"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory",
        "informal",
        "often"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "softboy"
}
{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "soft",
        "3": "boy"
      },
      "expansion": "Univerbation of soft + boy",
      "name": "univerbation"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Univerbation of soft + boy.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "softboys",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "softboi",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "soft boy",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "softboy (plural softboys)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "softhearted"
    },
    {
      "word": "softy"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English compound terms",
        "English countable nouns",
        "English derogatory terms",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English informal terms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English nouns",
        "English univerbations",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "en:Male people"
      ],
      "coordinate_terms": [
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "Philippines"
          ],
          "word": "bading"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "Australia",
            "Ireland",
            "New-Zealand",
            "UK",
            "derogatory"
          ],
          "word": "big girl's blouse"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "obsolete"
          ],
          "word": "cockney"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "obsolete"
          ],
          "word": "cot-quean"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "cupcake"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "archaic",
            "derogatory"
          ],
          "word": "dudelet"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "word": "fakaleiti"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory"
          ],
          "word": "fairy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "word": "femboy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory"
          ],
          "word": "gentleman"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "Australia",
            "Ireland",
            "New-Zealand",
            "UK",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "ginch"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "girl's blouse"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "girlyman"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "rare"
          ],
          "word": "janegirl"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "dated"
          ],
          "word": "jessie"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "nancy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "nancyboy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "word": "nancy pants"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory"
          ],
          "word": "pansy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "Percy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "Commonwealth",
            "derogatory"
          ],
          "word": "poof"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "Commonwealth",
            "dated",
            "derogatory"
          ],
          "word": "poofter"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "posy sniffer"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "word": "pretty boy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "obsolete"
          ],
          "word": "puss-gentleman"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "idiomatic"
          ],
          "word": "quiche-eater"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory"
          ],
          "word": "sissy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "archaic"
          ],
          "word": "softling"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "soy boy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "swish"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "twink"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:effeminate man",
          "tags": [
            "South-Asia"
          ],
          "word": "zenana"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A man who is not traditionally masculine, but willing to show emotion and to wear feminine or androgynous clothing."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "masculine",
          "masculine"
        ],
        [
          "emotion",
          "emotion"
        ],
        [
          "feminine",
          "feminine"
        ],
        [
          "androgynous",
          "androgynous"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal, often derogatory) A man who is not traditionally masculine, but willing to show emotion and to wear feminine or androgynous clothing."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory",
        "informal",
        "often"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "softboy"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-12-23 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-12-02 using wiktextract (6fdc867 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.