tomboyish

Definition of tomboyishnext
as in masculine
having qualities or traits that are traditionally considered inappropriate for a girl or woman her father thought that ice hockey was a little too tomboyish for her, but her mother and older brother encouraged her to take it up

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of tomboyish Alex, pointedly called Alexa by her mother (Florencia Lozano), who hates Alex’s tomboyish style, works in a bodega and looks after her brother a lot. Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 9 Aug. 2026 Embrace those tomboyish vibes with a coordinated set like Bella Hadid's powder-blue look, or give them a fashion-forward twist by pairing them with a statement top like Palmer. Maggie Kreienberg, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026 Hutton’s elegant-yet-tomboyish character spends the film in silks and trenches, with an iconic burgundy Bottega tucked beneath her arm. Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 22 Apr. 2026 Off-duty, the actor can be found in statement outerwear and tomboyish button-ups and trousers. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2025 The brand’s sturdy styles add a tomboyish touch to the wrist of anyone who likes a more androgynous look, a style that’s particularly trendy right now. Barry Samaha, Glamour, 12 Nov. 2025 Jacobson lends her voice to Shira Schwooper, the tomboyish middle child and only daughter. Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tomboyish
Adjective
  • Her paintings carry almost none of the familiar signs of masculine authority that dominated so much art of that moment.
    Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026
  • And you were given subtle signals from the industry about dressing more masculine.
    Jeffrey Masters, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
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
  • Women fighting for the right to vote were seen by their detractors as unfeminine, and vinegar valentines were a cheap and convenient medium to enforce gender roles.
    Melissa Chan, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Tomboyish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tomboyish. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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