hoydenish

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoydenish
Adjective
  • Republicans responded by leaning into their ideal image as the masculine party, with appeal that cut across racial barriers.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Convincing him to take him along, Veneno is drawn into the hyper-masculine world of long-haul trucking across northern Mexico.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
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
  • The 26-foot-tall bronze sculpture depicts a male figure that transforms into tree branches housing various bird species.
    Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Amy McGrath, a former Marine fighter pilot and Democratic Senate candidate in Kentucky, posted a video on Facebook stating there is no male standard or female standard for roles, including flying a fighter jet or being an artillery officer.
    Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2025
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hoydenish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoydenish. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!