kittenishness

noun

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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for kittenishness
  1. play
  2. flirtation
  3. coyness
  4. coquetry
  5. flirtatiousness
Noun
  • Folarin Balogun, the striker whose 11th-hour reinstatement Sunday by FIFA unleashed an international furor and much anti-Yankee sentiment abroad, created a free kick with a fine hold-up play.
    — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
  • What begins as a history play transforms into a sharp-eyed satire about the cost of assimilation in a society where money, power and white privilege remain stubbornly intertwined.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of play
Noun
  • But even the attention the Bears’ flirtation with Hammond has brought to the city is paying off, McDermott said.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2026
  • So did the flirtation of its biggest brands with other leagues.
    — Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of flirtation
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
Definition of coyness
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
Definition of coquetry
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
Definition of flirtatiousness
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

kittenish
kittenishness
kittens
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Cite this Entry

“Kittenishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kittenishness. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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