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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Both those films centered on women whose grim worlds were closing in on them — a tomboyish auto mechanic in Closeness; a nurse and the frontline friend who turns on her in Beanpole.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 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
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
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
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 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
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
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
-
In many ways, the collection rejects the rigidity that has long defined traditional menswear, prioritizing emotional connection and ease over overt trend cycles or hyper-masculine dressing.—
Karin Eldor,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
Seydoux tromps through the film with a masculine heaviness — a sense of dysphoria that translates to her character’s ungainly bearing.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
18 May 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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Tomboyish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tomboyish. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
