as in play
the attitude or behavior of one who insincerely courts the amorous attentions of others
a literary heroine covering grit and guile underneath her kittenishness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kittenishness
Noun
-
While still in play-in tournament territory, the Heat moved up the Eastern Conference standings.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026 -
Features such as infinite scroll and auto-play videos keep kids on the site, fostering addictive behavior that can lead to depression, anxiety and self-harm, the lawsuit claims.—
Diana Novak Jones,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Starting over was first impossible, then daunting, and then slowly manifested through a combination of therapy and more spiritual remedies (brief flirtations with Scientology and the Nation of Islam didn’t take hold).—
Jackson Howard,
Pitchfork,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The couple has been together long enough that their alternating fracas and flirtations have become a familiar rhythm.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There is her coyness about her future plans, and her own recent memoir.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The Hunting Wives strips away any coyness about sexuality in the first three minutes of episode one.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The three-inch heels that the women wear when performing the dance are visible at the bottom of the skirt—a demure bit of coquetry.—
Fernanda Pérez Sánchez,
Vogue,
8 Aug. 2022
-
In other words, the most dizzying and most consequential storyline of Michigan’s offseason — Harbaugh’s coquetry with the Minnesota Vikings notwithstanding — is going to linger a while longer.—
Michael Cohen,
Detroit Free Press,
27 July 2022
Noun
-
Evocative animation, with subdued blue hues and soft lighting, conveys the flirtatiousness of their rapid connection in a scene where the two swim together in a pool at night.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
23 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.
Cite this Entry
“Kittenishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kittenishness. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
