Also means
exclamation of surprise (regional)
Usage Note
Boia is grammatically masculine despite ending in -a, and is invariable in the plural: i boia. In standard usage it means a hangman or executioner. In Tuscan speech boia is also a mild exclamation expressing surprise or emphasis, similar to 'damn' (boia, che colpo!) — a usage that can confuse learners expecting a literal meaning.
Examples
"Il boia eseguì la condanna."
Natural Translation
The executioner carried out the sentence.
Related Words
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