1
as in girlish
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2
as in tomboyish
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Recent Examples of boyish
In those pages, Fiedler dared to argue that many of America’s boyish and putatively innocent classics are in fact fantasies of interracial, homosexual romance.
—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
From beginning to end, there’s a joyfulness and a boyish innocence to IOI’s new iteration of the character, which surprised me.
—
Alex James Kane,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
And Rudd, as the happy mid-lifer who can’t help wanting a little more, is appealing in that characteristically boyish, Rudd-like way, though there’s also something deeply wistful about him.
—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
29 May 2026
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
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
From beginning to end, there’s a joyfulness and a boyish innocence to IOI’s new iteration of the character, which surprised me.
—
Alex James Kane,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
And Rudd, as the happy mid-lifer who can’t help wanting a little more, is appealing in that characteristically boyish, Rudd-like way, though there’s also something deeply wistful about him.
—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
29 May 2026
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
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).
-
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.
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.
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Hutton’s elegant-yet-tomboyish character spends the film in silks and trenches, with an iconic burgundy Bottega tucked beneath her arm.
Adjective
-
This one has a charming clover shape to make your space feel animated, but not childish.
-
The result feels comforting without skewing childish.
Adjective
-
No amount of macho beatdowns in the UFC cage matches on the White House lawn will make anyone forget Epstein’s depredations.
-
While the two keep drinking and wait for a rare lunar event, old grievances, outrageous escapades, and macho rivalries explode to the surface.
Adjective
-
Go full girly mode with a pink French tip layered over a slightly lighter pink base for a soft, tonal effect.
-
The coquette trend emerged in the mid-2020s and became popular via TikTok due to its embrace of all things unabashedly girly and feminine.
Cite this Entry
“Boyish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boyish. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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