1
as in girlish
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2
as in tomboyish
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Recent Examples of boyish
Blessed with wonderfully expressive, almost boyish faces, these actors are barely able to contain their excitement about taking this journey together.
—
Jenny Lumet, Vanity Fair, 10 Feb. 2026
Olah is a boyish, elfin prodigy who, at nineteen, met Amodei on his first visit to the Bay Area.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
It may be masked by his refinement, hidden behind his boyish Christmas-morning smile.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
The look on his face was pleased, flattered, almost boyish.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Vanity Fair’s Nicole Chapoteau is a fan of the boyish look, wearing hers outside last season’s Miu Miu show with the brand’s bold yellow leather skirt, a camel blazer, and black penny loafers—finished with a matching grey sock for a charming touch.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2026
People are still organizing themselves in hierarchies in an unspoken, boyish way.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
In the coming years, Garcia and Weir, initially a boyish figure next to his older and usually hairier bandmates, would become the faces of the Dead and its increasingly large cultural footprint.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
Yet the boyish enthusiasm and goofiness that chess fans had come to know from his commentary and YouTube videos was no longer evident.
—Jordan Himelfarb, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
Jenny Lumet, Vanity Fair, 10 Feb. 2026
Olah is a boyish, elfin prodigy who, at nineteen, met Amodei on his first visit to the Bay Area.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
It may be masked by his refinement, hidden behind his boyish Christmas-morning smile.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
The look on his face was pleased, flattered, almost boyish.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Vanity Fair’s Nicole Chapoteau is a fan of the boyish look, wearing hers outside last season’s Miu Miu show with the brand’s bold yellow leather skirt, a camel blazer, and black penny loafers—finished with a matching grey sock for a charming touch.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2026
People are still organizing themselves in hierarchies in an unspoken, boyish way.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2026
In the coming years, Garcia and Weir, initially a boyish figure next to his older and usually hairier bandmates, would become the faces of the Dead and its increasingly large cultural footprint.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
Yet the boyish enthusiasm and goofiness that chess fans had come to know from his commentary and YouTube videos was no longer evident.
—Jordan Himelfarb, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boyish
Adjective
-
Wuthering Heights has the tunnel-vision horniness and girlish aesthetic sensibility of a high-school freshman who’s been assigned to read Brontë in class while tearing through a pile of explicit bodice-rippers under the covers at home.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Her girlish pout, tiny waist and generous bust were often more appreciated than her talent.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Linda Kaye Henning charmed audiences as Betty Jo Bradley, the spirited and tomboyish youngest daughter on Petticoat Junction.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Off-duty, the actor can be found in statement outerwear and tomboyish button-ups and trousers.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
This sort of behavior is childish and unsophisticated.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
-
These people are so childish and petty.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In an era of girly pop, the group’s star is sure to continue to rise.—
Saba Hamedy,
NBC news,
1 Feb. 2026
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Valentine's Day is the perfect time of year for a fun and girly manicure.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The first trailer for this macho survival flick just stomped onto the internet last week with a gung-ho spirit and guns blazing.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The scene in question takes place early in the film, when Skarsgård's macho biker, Ray, takes Harry Melling's nebbish Colin into an alleyway for oral sex.—
Mike Miller,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Boyish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boyish. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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