as in masculine
having qualities or traits that are traditionally considered inappropriate for a girl or woman
in bygone days pants were considered unfeminine, and even women bicycling were expected to wear skirts
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Recent Examples of unfeminine
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
Dior’s collection referenced the H-line created by its founder Christian Dior for Fall-Winter 1954-1955 – a controversial silhouette at the time as its flattened shape appeared, for some, unfeminine.
—Alice Pfeiffer, CNN, 28 Jan. 2025
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
This really helped cement this idea that there was something or there could be something unfeminine about successful athletes.
—Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 1 Aug. 2024
Things that were once seen as ugly or unfeminine (i.e. baggy clothes, chunky sneakers and grungy makeup) are now once again considered chic.
—Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 10 July 2024
Her muscle mass is defiantly unfeminine but only because our idea of this gendered notion has always been too narrow and confining.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2022
Physical activity for girls and women was cast as unfeminine, and while schools poured money and other resources into programs for male students, budding female athletes were left to fend for themselves.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 21 June 2022
Her voice was harsh, unfeminine.
—Anne Thériault, Longreads, 14 May 2021
Melissa Chan, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
Dior’s collection referenced the H-line created by its founder Christian Dior for Fall-Winter 1954-1955 – a controversial silhouette at the time as its flattened shape appeared, for some, unfeminine.
—Alice Pfeiffer, CNN, 28 Jan. 2025
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
This really helped cement this idea that there was something or there could be something unfeminine about successful athletes.
—Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 1 Aug. 2024
Things that were once seen as ugly or unfeminine (i.e. baggy clothes, chunky sneakers and grungy makeup) are now once again considered chic.
—Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 10 July 2024
Her muscle mass is defiantly unfeminine but only because our idea of this gendered notion has always been too narrow and confining.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2022
Physical activity for girls and women was cast as unfeminine, and while schools poured money and other resources into programs for male students, budding female athletes were left to fend for themselves.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 21 June 2022
Her voice was harsh, unfeminine.
—Anne Thériault, Longreads, 14 May 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unfeminine
Adjective
-
Victorian mores determined that brown men were too feminine and brown women too masculine, and the group as a whole was oversexed and in need of population control.—
Supriya Ganesh,
Vulture,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Andrew and Tristan Tate are former kickboxers who built a large online following by sharing hyper-masculine and misogynistic content.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Apr. 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
Cite this Entry
“Unfeminine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unfeminine. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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