different between intimate vs boyfriend

English

Etymology

From Latin intimare (“to put or bring into, to impress, to make familiar”), from intimus (“inmost, innermost, most intimate”), superlative of intus (“within”), from in (“in”); see interior.

Pronunciation

Adjective, noun

• enPR: ?n't?m?t, IPA^(key): /??n.t?.m?t/

Verb

• enPR: ?n't?m?t, IPA^(key): /??n.t?.me?t/

Adjective

intimate (comparative more intimate, superlative most intimate)

1. Closely acquainted; familiar.

   an intimate friend

   He and his sister deeply valued their intimate relationship as they didn't have much else to live for.

2. Of or involved in a sexual relationship.

   She enjoyed some intimate time alone with her husband.

3. Personal; private.

   an intimate setting

4. Pertaining to details that require great familiarity to know.

Translations

Noun

intimate (plural intimates)

1. A very close friend.

   Only a couple of intimates had ever read his writing.

2. (in plural intimates) Women's underwear, sleepwear, or lingerie, especially offered for sale in a store.

   You'll find bras and panties in the women's intimates section upstairs.

Synonyms

• (close friend): bosom buddy, bosom friend, cater-cousin

Translations

Verb

intimate (third-person singular simple present intimates, present participle intimating, simple past and past participle intimated)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To suggest or disclose (something) discreetly.

   •     The Kaiser beamed. Von Bulow had praised him. Von Bulow had exalted him and humbled himself. The Kaiser could forgive anything after that. "Haven't I always told you," he exclaimed with enthusiasm, "that we complete one another famously? We should stick together, and we will!"
         [...]
         Von Bulow saved himself in time—but, canny diplomat that he was, he nevertheless had made one error: he should have begun by talking about his own shortcomings and Wilhelm's superiority—not by intimating that the Kaiser was a half-wit in need of a guardian.

   He intimated that we should leave before the argument escalated.

2. (transitive, India) To notify.

   I will intimate you when the details are available.

Translations

Related terms

• intimacy
• intimation

Further reading

• intimate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• intimate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• antitime

Esperanto

Adverb

intimate

1. present adverbial passive participle of intimi

Italian

Verb

intimate

1. second-person plural present indicative of intimare
2. second-person plural imperative of intimare
3. feminine plural of intimato

Anagrams

• imitante

Latin

Verb

intim?te

1. second-person plural present active imperative of intim?

English

Alternative forms

• boy friend (dated)
• boy-friend (dated)

Etymology

From boy +? friend.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?b???f??nd/, /?b??f??nd/

Noun

boyfriend (plural boyfriends)

1. A male partner in an unmarried romantic relationship.

   Coordinate terms: fiancé, girlfriend, husband, lover, significant other
2. A male friend.

   Synonyms: (slang) guyfriend, buddy, pal, mate; see also Thesaurus:friend

Usage notes

In contrast to its female equivalent, girlfriend, which is also often used to describe a woman's close female friends, the term is not that often used in reference to non-romantic relationships. Boyfriend is a relatively modern term, and in the past has had implications of an illicit relationship (as sexual and romantic relationships outside marriage were more commonly frowned upon). It is now a generally accepted term and has no negative implications per se.

An adult man in a non-marital relationship is sometimes referred to instead as a significant other or partner, especially if the two partners are living together. Because boyfriend and partner mean different things to different people, the distinctions between the terms are subjective, and which term is used in a relationship will ultimately be determined by personal preference.

Separating the word into its two components boy friend avoids the romantic implication nowadays, although boy friend used to mean the same as boyfriend does now. However, British and Australian men usually refer to a male friend as a mate. Similarly, Americans and Canadians use the term buddy.

Derived terms

• boyfriendable

Descendants

• ? Hindi: ?????????? (b?yfre??)
• ? Japanese: ??????? (b?ifurendo)
• ? Korean: ????? (boipeurendeu)
• ? Russian: ????????? (bojfr??nd)
• ? Urdu: ??????????? (bayfren?)

Translations

Anagrams

• friend boy, friendboy

Finnish

Noun

boyfriend

1. (rare) boyfriend

Declension

Synonyms

• poikakaveri
• poikaystävä