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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Recent Examples of coquettish
The intelligence official, who helps train America’s newest generation of overseas intelligence officers, said these pretend tourists feign a lack of English, adopt a coquettish manner and play dumb to probe the area’s perimeter and identify its weak and strong points.
—
Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
Additional coquettish details came from ruffles at the bodice of the dress and lace peeking above the neckline.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 11 Feb. 2026
Simply brushing them out of your eyes can feel like a coquettish, kittenish gesture!
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
Pink lace trim and bow accents give a standard French tip a pretty, coquettish touch.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 6 Feb. 2026
Soft blush and ivory tones, satin bows, lace details and dainty ornaments make your space feel dreamy and coquettish.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025
Prada, Dries Van Noten, and Onitsuka Tiger all showed satin sneakers for spring, and celebrities like Julia Roberts and Charli XCX can’t stop wearing Vivaia’s coquettish sneakerinas.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 14 Nov. 2025
Their pearly-white feathers and coquettish long necks have been popping up all over the home decor space in recent months—on tabletops, in paper form, and even in lighting.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 12 Nov. 2025
Nab this charming bag, which comes in all sorts of coquettish florals and prints that flawlessly fit the aesthetic.
—Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 19 Oct. 2025
Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
Additional coquettish details came from ruffles at the bodice of the dress and lace peeking above the neckline.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 11 Feb. 2026
Simply brushing them out of your eyes can feel like a coquettish, kittenish gesture!
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
Pink lace trim and bow accents give a standard French tip a pretty, coquettish touch.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 6 Feb. 2026
Soft blush and ivory tones, satin bows, lace details and dainty ornaments make your space feel dreamy and coquettish.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025
Prada, Dries Van Noten, and Onitsuka Tiger all showed satin sneakers for spring, and celebrities like Julia Roberts and Charli XCX can’t stop wearing Vivaia’s coquettish sneakerinas.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 14 Nov. 2025
Their pearly-white feathers and coquettish long necks have been popping up all over the home decor space in recent months—on tabletops, in paper form, and even in lighting.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 12 Nov. 2025
Nab this charming bag, which comes in all sorts of coquettish florals and prints that flawlessly fit the aesthetic.
—Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 19 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coquettish
Adjective
-
Simply brushing them out of your eyes can feel like a coquettish, kittenish gesture!—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Seductively kittenish, Gardner lives up to her profane reputation.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2023
Adjective
-
But the rest is simply informative, neither coy nor overly blunt.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Officials in other states are not being so coy.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Drawing inspiration from the aesthetics of early 2000s R&B, Bad Gyal captures not only visuals but also sound, conveying her confident, flirtatious energy while paying tribute to the era that significantly influenced her.—
Ingrid Fajardo,
Billboard,
12 Mar. 2026
-
His texts and puppy-dog grins could be flirtatious or innocent.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But as radical as Sean Baker’s movie was, Madison chose a relatively demure Dior dress to mark the occasion.—
Esther Zuckerman,
Vanity Fair,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Yearbook photos from the community’s grade school show a smiling, demure young Friedmann.—
James Verini,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coquettish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coquettish. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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