ˈkit-nish
as in coquettish
affecting shyness or modesty in order to attract masculine interest
she couldn't see the point in being kittenish about it and decided to just ask him out
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kittenish
Seductively kittenish, Gardner lives up to her profane reputation.
—
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2023
Madelyn Cline went full-on Old Hollywood bombshell, kittenish liner, polished lengths, and all.
—Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 15 Jan. 2023
There was much talk of the kittens, their kittenish ways.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2022
To this day, she’s drawn to the bruise of blue that belies the kittenish blush, the tension between the girl next door and the demimondaine, who are not so far apart, who may even be one.
—Susan Dominus Photographs By Joshua Kissi Styled By Ian Bradley Sasha Weiss Photographs By Collier Schorr Styled By Jay Massacret Megan O’Grady Portrait By Mickalene Thomas and Racquel Chevremont Ligaya Mishan Photographs By Tina Barney, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for kittenish
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2023
Madelyn Cline went full-on Old Hollywood bombshell, kittenish liner, polished lengths, and all.
—Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 15 Jan. 2023
There was much talk of the kittens, their kittenish ways.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2022
To this day, she’s drawn to the bruise of blue that belies the kittenish blush, the tension between the girl next door and the demimondaine, who are not so far apart, who may even be one.
—Susan Dominus Photographs By Joshua Kissi Styled By Ian Bradley Sasha Weiss Photographs By Collier Schorr Styled By Jay Massacret Megan O’Grady Portrait By Mickalene Thomas and Racquel Chevremont Ligaya Mishan Photographs By Tina Barney, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for kittenish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kittenish
Adjective
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Nab this charming bag, which comes in all sorts of coquettish florals and prints that flawlessly fit the aesthetic.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Sep. 2025
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The new 14-track collection ballasts her familiar dreamy, coquettish sound with vulnerability and anguish.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Mousse is elusive, coy and even mysterious.—
Maryanne Dell,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
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Maybe the aliens are coy and want to stay hidden.—
Matthew Hutson,
New Yorker,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kittenish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kittenish. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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