coquettish

as in kittenish
affecting shyness or modesty in order to attract masculine interest an 18th-century painting of a coquettish maiden dallying with a young moonstruck gallant

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for coquettish
Adjective
  • Madelyn Cline went full-on Old Hollywood bombshell, kittenish liner, polished lengths, and all.
    Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 15 Jan. 2023
  • With a basis of flawless skin—smoothing and hydration offered via Kylie Skin Face Moisturizer and Eye Cream—Phillips pulled a thick wing of black liner along Jenner's lids, a diminutive wing beneath the lower lashline providing a kittenish complement.
    Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 13 Sep. 2021
Adjective
  • The 28-year-old driver wasn’t coy about his recent successes post race.
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2025
  • There is a lavish devotion to a world where Mimi’s success in a TV talent competition turns her into a midriff-baring singing sensation akin to coy Britney, but also French singers like Lorie and Ophélie Winter.
    Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • All at once, these two are flirtatious, sentimental, and so, so strange.
    Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Mathison joined the All My Children cast in 1998 as Ryan Lavery, a former con man who quickly struck up a flirtatious friendship with Hayley (Ripa) — much to the ire of her then-boyfriend Mateo (Consuelos).
    EW.com, EW.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • His clothing choices can sometimes be as provocative as his opinions: On a recent trip to Japan, Mr. Piker wore a tight French maid’s outfit, a pair of fuzzy cat ears and a demure string of pearls while streaming from one of the country’s maid cafes.
    Jack Crosbie, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Galego’s demure courage was widely admired, and Shadows In The Garden was among the works to quickly find a buyer on opening night.
    Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Coquettish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coquettish. Accessed 10 May. 2025.

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