boyish

[ boi-ish ]
See synonyms for boyish on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. of or befitting a boy; engagingly youthful or innocent: a boyish grin.

Origin of boyish

1
First recorded in 1540–50; boy + -ish1

Other words from boyish

  • boy·ish·ly, adverb
  • boy·ish·ness, noun
  • un·boy·ish, adjective
  • un·boy·ish·ly, adverb
  • un·boy·ish·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use boyish in a sentence

  • It seemed to her that a curious expression, that was unboyish and sharp with meaning, had dawned and died in his eyes.

    Bella Donna | Robert Hichens
  • He ran a good part of the way home and burst into the house with a slam, utterly unlike his usual quiet, unboyish steadiness.

    Still Jim | Honor Willsie Morrow
  • Its vast and meaningless, said Gavan, who often used terms curiously unboyish.

    The Shadow of Life | Anne Douglas Sedgwick
  • His faithfulness to his mother, his quiet ways, his unboyish life, touched the Irishman.

    Still Jim | Honor Willsie Morrow
  • He was dressed in as unboyish a fashion as possible, and being christened Winthrop, was always called Winnie.

British Dictionary definitions for boyish

boyish

/ (ˈbɔɪɪʃ) /


adjective
  1. of or like a boy in looks, behaviour, or character, esp when regarded as attractive or endearing: a boyish smile

Derived forms of boyish

  • boyishly, adverb
  • boyishness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012