1
as in girlish
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2
as in tomboyish
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Recent Examples of boyish
While both these trends lead away from feminine curves, there is not the slightest boyish feeling in the new mode… Another thing noticeable about the new styles is the refreshing lack of period revivals.
—
Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2026
At sixty-five, Petzold, with light-hazel eyes and dark hair only just beginning to silver, still wields a boyish charisma.
—Holden Seidlitz, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Allen’s boyish charm will win over hearts again.
—Tim Graham, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Blessed with wonderfully expressive, almost boyish faces, these actors are barely able to contain their excitement about taking this journey together.
—Jenny Lumet, Vanity Fair, 10 Feb. 2026
The look on his face was pleased, flattered, almost boyish.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
People are still organizing themselves in hierarchies in an unspoken, boyish way.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
In the coming years, Garcia and Weir, initially a boyish figure next to his older and usually hairier bandmates, would become the faces of the Dead and its increasingly large cultural footprint.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2026
At sixty-five, Petzold, with light-hazel eyes and dark hair only just beginning to silver, still wields a boyish charisma.
—Holden Seidlitz, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Allen’s boyish charm will win over hearts again.
—Tim Graham, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Blessed with wonderfully expressive, almost boyish faces, these actors are barely able to contain their excitement about taking this journey together.
—Jenny Lumet, Vanity Fair, 10 Feb. 2026
The look on his face was pleased, flattered, almost boyish.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
People are still organizing themselves in hierarchies in an unspoken, boyish way.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
In the coming years, Garcia and Weir, initially a boyish figure next to his older and usually hairier bandmates, would become the faces of the Dead and its increasingly large cultural footprint.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boyish
Adjective
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In the band’s heyday, Anthony Kiedis, with his bare torso and long girlish copper-blond hair, looked like a ’70s teen idol who’d become a Warhol hustler – a street-flesh god like Joe Dallesandro, except that where Dallesandro was in a daze, Kiedis was a live wire.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
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Candiace ditched her glitzy Housewives looks in favor of prim and proper twin sets and girlish headbands that conveyed an image of innocence and charm, a masterful choice for a game in which perception is everything.—
Kevin Huynh,
InStyle,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Linda Kaye Henning charmed audiences as Betty Jo Bradley, the spirited and tomboyish youngest daughter on Petticoat Junction.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
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Off-duty, the actor can be found in statement outerwear and tomboyish button-ups and trousers.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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However, this is a childish fantasy.—
Dr. Michael Good,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Now Venerdì Pomeriggio promises to keep faith with Ponti’s signature girly and whimsical aesthetic but within a different business framework, hinged on smaller production, a sustainable focus and lower price points compared to her previous line.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
24 Feb. 2026
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This look has a soft and girly vibe.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The music business’ macho and misogynistic tendencies had reached a peak in 1987.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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There's macho panache and white-knuckle action sequences aplenty as Pitt's eccentric Formula 1 veteran plays reluctant mentor to a hotshot rookie (Damson Idris).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boyish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boyish. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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