hoydenish

Definition of hoydenishnext
as in masculine
having qualities or traits that are traditionally considered inappropriate for a girl or woman a designer whose eclectic spring line paired hoydenish work boots with frilly skirts

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoydenish
Adjective
  • Zephirine would make a beautiful gift for someone with masculine tastes.
    Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Charley was being required by West Virginia law to play on the boys' team, against young men with Adam's apples, strong muscles, and masculine identities.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • That would have been unladylike.
    Lucy Worsley September 16, Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The new girl’s unladylike bravado ensures that she will be asked to board with the Brown girl.
    Chris Bohjalian, Washington Post, 17 Aug. 2023
Adjective
  • Dior’s collection referenced the H-line created by its founder Christian Dior for Fall-Winter 1954-1955 – a controversial silhouette at the time as its flattened shape appeared, for some, unfeminine.
    Alice Pfeiffer, CNN, 28 Jan. 2025
  • The intention behind this final postcard may have been, yet again, to paint the fight for suffrage as absurd, to make suffragists seem like willful, unfeminine animals.
    Natalie Kinkade, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2024
Adjective
  • Peggy isn’t panicked by her son’s alpha-male predilections.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
  • The description of the male suspect took her by surprise.
    Gabriela Vidal, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Hoydenish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoydenish. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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