Phrase guide

mama's boy

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A male who has a very close bond with his mother, and may consequently be perceived as soft or effeminate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US, derogatory, idiomatic, informal

Examples

  • He's such a mama's boy that he can't even ask a girl out for a date without his mother's approval.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: nancyboy, pansy

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Alternative letter-case form of mama's boy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a boy excessively attached to his mother; lacking normal masculine interests

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mother's boy, mamma's boy

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: son, boy

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

53 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: صَبِيُّ الْأُمّ (ṣabiyyu l-ʔumm) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Arabic: اِبْنُ وَالِدَتِهِ (ibnu wālidatihi) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Armenian: մամայի բալա (mamayi bala) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Azerbaijani: mamauşağı — male overly attached to his mother
  • Belarusian: ма́мчын сыно́к (mámčyn synók) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Belarusian: ма́мін ду́рань (mámin dúranʹ) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Belarusian: ба́бін ду́рань (bábin dúranʹ) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Bulgarian: ма́мино дете́нце (mámino deténce) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Catalan: nen de mama — male overly attached to his mother
  • Chechen: нанин (nanin) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Chechen: нуькка (nükka) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Chechen: ноькка (nökka) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Chinese Mandarin: 媽寶 /妈宝 (mābǎo) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Chinese Mandarin: 媽寶男 /妈宝男 (mābǎonán) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Chinese Mandarin: 離不開媽媽的男孩 /离不开妈妈的男孩 (líbùkāi māma de nánhái) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Czech: mamánek — male overly attached to his mother
  • Estonian: mammapoeg — male overly attached to his mother
  • Estonian: memmepoeg — male overly attached to his mother
  • Finnish: mammanpoika — male overly attached to his mother
  • French: petit garçon à sa maman — male overly attached to his mother
  • French: fils à maman — male overly attached to his mother
  • German: Muttersöhnchen — male overly attached to his mother
  • East Central German: Arschklunkr — male overly attached to his mother
  • Icelandic: mömmustrákur — male overly attached to his mother
  • Italian: mammone — male overly attached to his mother
  • Italian: mammoletta — male overly attached to his mother
  • Japanese: マザーコンプレックス (mazā konpurekkusu) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Japanese: ママっ子 (mamakko) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Japanese: マザコンの男 (mazakon no otoko) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Kashmiri: ماجہٕ گۆبُر (mājhụ gobur) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Korean: 마마보이 (mamaboi) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Polish: maminsynek — male overly attached to his mother
  • Portuguese: filhinho da mamãe — male overly attached to his mother
  • Russian: ма́менькин сыно́к (mámenʹkin synók) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Russian: ма́мин сыно́к (mámin synók) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Serbo-Croatian: màmāroš /ма̀ма̄рош — male overly attached to his mother
  • Spanish: niño de mamá — male overly attached to his mother
  • Spanish: madrero — male overly attached to his mother
  • Spanish: nene de mamá — male overly attached to his mother
  • Spanish: enmadrado — male overly attached to his mother
  • Spanish: regalón — male overly attached to his mother
  • Spanish: mamón — male overly attached to his mother
  • Spanish: pollerudo — male overly attached to his mother
  • Spanish: moñas — male overly attached to his mother
  • Spanish: nenaza — male overly attached to his mother
  • Spanish: hijito de mamá — male overly attached to his mother
  • Swedish: morsgris — male overly attached to his mother
  • Turkish: ana kuzusu — male overly attached to his mother
  • Ukrainian: мату́син сино́к (matúsyn synók) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Ukrainian: мамі́й (mamíj) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Ukrainian: ма́мин сино́к (mámyn synók) — male overly attached to his mother
  • Vietnamese: bám váy mẹ — male overly attached to his mother
  • Vietnamese: cơm chín vần ra — male overly attached to his mother