city boy
15
4.5
- noun
- /ˈsɪti bɔɪ/
:
chico de ciudad
- As a city boy, he had refined tastes and enjoyed dining at fancy restaurants.
- Just a city boy
- big city boy
- stupid city boy
Examples
-
I'm more of a city boy.
-
A city boy like me wouldn't be welcome there.
-
Both were city boys from immigrant communities.
Academic text (2012) -
What is a city boy to do when a small-town cowboy ropes him in?
Blog text (4) -
He's a city boy, you know, from New Jersey; Newark to be exact.
Fiction book (1995) -
See, Nev's a real city boy, but his dad's a tribal elder.
-
Casey might be a city boy and a clever investor, Jazz admitted to herself, but horses and cattle were clearly his game too.
Fiction book (1990) -
Doug, you're a city boy with a low threshold of boredom.
-
He grew up as a city boy, accustomed to the fast pace and bright lights of urban life.
-
Dressed in stylish clothes, the city boy stood out among the country folks.
Synonyms
6
6.7
A person from a city who seems well dressed and not used to country life
5
4.1
A person who lives in a city and is used to city life
1
4.8
A man who lives in a town or city
1
9.8
A person who lives in a town and seems out of place in the country
1
5.8
A person who lives in a city and prefers city life
How Urban
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'city boy' is compositionally derived from 'city' + 'boy' so its basic meaning—a boy or man from a city—is directly predictable from the constituents; the extra connotation of sophistication or fashionability is a common cultural stereotype but does not prevent comprehension. This pattern (noun + noun indicating origin/type) exists across many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
City boy comes from the simple image of a boy raised in a city, used to busy streets, shops, and smart clothes instead of farm life. So it means 'a man or boy who lives in a city and often seems fashionable or used to town life'.