1
as in girlish
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in tomboyish
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of boyish
Now 35 and about to embark on his 14th consecutive home Test summer, England’s greatest batter still radiates a boyish quality that no amount of stubble or crow’s feet can dim.
—
James Wallace, New York Times, 22 May 2026
The boyish-looking Streeting, 43, is widely regarded as one of the party's best communicators and has been an outspoken voice on issues that include the war in Gaza.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
And yet, by the time Enzo (Diego Murgia), a kindhearted and still boyish 19-year-old, can no longer conceal what’s been brewing inside him, his reaction still lands with soul crushing force.
—Carlos Aguilar, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
Sashko was tall, and had a distinguished bearing but a still-boyish face, and a poetic way of speaking that seemed to combine the two.
—James Verini, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026
In person, Puth has a boyish style, like a musical variant of actor Paul Rudd.
—Peter Larsen, Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
Nothing except getting into fierce arguments with fellow-Jews, some would say, which Olitzky—who has a round, boyish face and a conciliatory manner—portrayed as a privilege rather than a burden.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
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
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
James Wallace, New York Times, 22 May 2026
The boyish-looking Streeting, 43, is widely regarded as one of the party's best communicators and has been an outspoken voice on issues that include the war in Gaza.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
And yet, by the time Enzo (Diego Murgia), a kindhearted and still boyish 19-year-old, can no longer conceal what’s been brewing inside him, his reaction still lands with soul crushing force.
—Carlos Aguilar, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
Sashko was tall, and had a distinguished bearing but a still-boyish face, and a poetic way of speaking that seemed to combine the two.
—James Verini, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026
In person, Puth has a boyish style, like a musical variant of actor Paul Rudd.
—Peter Larsen, Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
Nothing except getting into fierce arguments with fellow-Jews, some would say, which Olitzky—who has a round, boyish face and a conciliatory manner—portrayed as a privilege rather than a burden.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boyish
Adjective
-
Known for her breathy, sultry yet girlish vocal style, Longet achieved significant success on the record charts, beginning with her 1967 debut album, Claudine, and, to a lesser extent, the subsequent The Look of Love (1967) and Love Is Blue (1968).—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
-
Miho Sakoda’s Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San) managed a deft balance of girlish naiveté, true love and bitter betrayal with a soprano of apparently limitless expressivity.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Both those films centered on women whose grim worlds were closing in on them — a tomboyish auto mechanic in Closeness; a nurse and the frontline friend who turns on her in Beanpole.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
Hutton’s elegant-yet-tomboyish character spends the film in silks and trenches, with an iconic burgundy Bottega tucked beneath her arm.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Giant, a play about Dahl running on Broadway through June, is anything but childish.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
-
Garrincha was characterised as childish and moronic in psychological tests commissioned by the Brazilian federation before that tournament in Sweden and was then left out of their first two games.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
The coquette trend emerged in the mid-2020s and became popular via TikTok due to its embrace of all things unabashedly girly and feminine.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
21 May 2026
-
Bjelland was one of the icons of the riot grrrl scene in the Nineties, and along with Courtney Love and Bratmobile’s Allison Wolfe, she was known for sporting hyper-feminine, girly dresses.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
The concept of juxtaposing this style with stereotypically macho coal miners was revisited when RuPaul hosted the show in 2020 – resulting in a second coal-miner sketch that wound up cut for time.—
Jesse Hassenger,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 May 2026
-
The series is intended to not only increase the talent pipeline for drivers, but also to shift the perception of motorsport from macho and male-dominated to inclusive and achievable.—
Danielle McNally,
InStyle,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boyish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boyish. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
