androgynous

adjective an·drog·y·nous \ an-ˈdrä-jə-nəs \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

1 : having the characteristics or nature of both male and female

androgynous heroines

2 a : neither specifically feminine nor masculine

the androgynous pronoun them

b : suitable to or for either sex

androgynous clothing

3 : having traditional male and female roles obscured or reversed

an androgynous marriage

—

androgynously

adverb

—

androgyny

play \an-ˈdrä-jə-nē\ noun

See androgynous defined for English-language learners

See androgynous defined for kids

Examples of androgynous in a Sentence

the androgynous hairdos favored by the hip
an actor whose androgynous looks are at the heart of his appeal

Recent Examples of androgynous from the Web

The singer Chavela Vargas forged her own path in the 1950s and ’60s with her emotional renditions of popular ranchera songs, androgynous appearance and tough spirit.

— sara aridi, New York Times, "What’s on TV Monday: ‘Sami Blood’ and ‘Amo’," 9 Apr. 2018
He was replaced by Bouchra Jarrar, who tried a more fuss-free, androgynous look which failed to resonate with Lanvin customers.

— ella alexander, Harper's BAZAAR, "Olivier Lapidus exits Lanvin after less than a year," 22 Mar. 2018
Camryn Quigley Age: 18 Place of birth: San Clemente Occupation: Retail Three words to describe Los Angeles style: Innovative, androgynous, youthful.

— ward + kweskin, The Cut, "Retro Kids of L.A.," 21 Mar. 2018
The costumes are practical and slightly androgynous with a nod to iconic looks, her signature looks hover between Helmut Lang’s Berlin club kid meets Burberry’s iconic trench coat.

— jennifer konerman, The Hollywood Reporter, "Defend Your Favorite Bad Videogame Movie," 16 Mar. 2018
And in that presentation were androgynous rockstars and artists that live their truth... wave their flag and inspire the rest of us.

— refinery29.com, "Pink's Daughter Is Already The Beauty Influencer We Need," 22 Mar. 2018
Nameberry analyzed the 2016 Social Security Administration data into a top 50 androgynous name list focused on those with heavy gender splits.

— CBS News, "Charlie, Skyler, Justice: Gender-neutral baby names are on the rise," 21 Mar. 2018
In 2012, Sailors buzzed their long blonde hair in favor of a short crop, going from classic blonde bombshell to androgynous model and shooting menswear campaigns instead of womenswear.

— sarah spellings and diana tsui, The Cut, "The Androgynous Model Whose Career Changed With a Haircut," 2 Mar. 2018
Look at the impish, androgynous sexuality Prince exudes.

— jaya saxena, GQ, "How to Become a Prince Fan," 12 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'androgynous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.