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
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
The new 14-track collection ballasts her familiar dreamy, coquettish sound with vulnerability and anguish.
—Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
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
The new 14-track collection ballasts her familiar dreamy, coquettish sound with vulnerability and anguish.
—Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 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
-
Twyla Tharp’s ballet Push Comes to Shove, which premiered in 1976, startled and delighted audiences with its coy, self-referential humor, and its flirtation with popular dance styles such as jazz and tango.—
Sara Krolewski,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Aguilera was coy in her pose, covering her chest while displaying her cleavage and letting her jewelry do the talking.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Packed with flirtatious lyrics and double entendres, the single harkens back to the genre’s late ‘10s era, brimming with playful energy, seduction and allure.—
Natalia Cano,
Billboard,
20 Feb. 2026
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The scene was much more aggressive as written, but the actors found an awkwardly flirtatious dynamic on the set that felt true to their characters.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Mattieu Blazy's latest for the Parisian House is simultaneously demure and completely see-through in his couture debut.—
Madeline Hirsch,
InStyle,
27 Jan. 2026
-
This sensibility is wonderfully demure (to use the mot du jour) and understated, letting the true star—the sweeping views of Portofino Bay, glimpsed through the doors to the balconies—really shine.—
Matt Ortile,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coquettish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coquettish. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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