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
-
Megna scored with 70 seconds remaining in Game 7, at the business end of a great play by Makar, but the sand in the hourglass ran out at the end of a chaotic game.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
11 June 2026 -
Jimmy Horn, who has been working with the depth units, had the offensive play of the afternoon.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Tucking in for departure, DeeDee strikes up a flirtation with Cal (Brian Jordan Alvarez), Glamazonian’s hunky co-conductor, while Tess oversees the train’s A-list clientele.—
Todd Gilchrist,
Variety,
10 June 2026
-
Whether the room is asking for conversation, flirtation, ceremony or escape.—
Noel Burgess,
Forbes.com,
10 June 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 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
