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e-boyfriend

Internet slang for a romantic partner whom you know primarily or exclusively through online interaction — someone you've never met in person or whose relationship with you exists mainly via DMs, video calls, and social media.

ˈɛbifɹəndDocumented since 2010s2010sGen Z155 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🌐 Internet & Memes
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Born ~2010 · no dated citations yet
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#1·Apr 28, 2026

Internet slang for a romantic partner whom you know primarily or exclusively through online interaction — someone you've never met in person or whose relationship with you exists mainly via DMs, video calls, and social media. 'E-boyfriend' carries a tone that ranges from sincere to ironic depending on context: some people use it earnestly for long-distance online relationships, while others use it self-deprecatingly or humorously. The 'e-' prefix (short for 'electronic' or 'internet') mirrors the pattern of 'e-girl,' 'e-boy,' and related terms from internet culture.

She spent most of the summer texting her e-boyfriend, even though they lived in different countries and had never met face to face.
Origin: Formed with the prefix 'e-' (electronic, internet), following the pattern established by 'e-mail,' and later extended to 'e-girl,' 'e-boy,' and related internet culture terms from the late 2010s. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
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#2·Apr 26, 2026

(internet slang) An internet boyfriend.

For parents

"e-boyfriend" means: An internet boyfriend.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

"e-boyfriend" means: An internet boyfriend.. Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.

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