boyish

American  

[boi-ish] / ˈbɔɪ ɪʃ /

adjective

1. of or befitting a boy; engagingly youthful or innocent.

   a boyish grin.

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boyish British  

/ ˈbɔɪɪʃ /

adjective

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

   a boyish smile

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Other Word Forms

• boyishly
  adverb
• boyishness
  noun
• unboyish
  adjective
• unboyishly
  adverb
• unboyishness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of boyish

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

Explanation

If you're boyish, you resemble or act like a young boy. Your uncle's boyish features might keep him charming and attractive even as he grows older. When you describe someone as having boyish charm, it means that person — often an adult man — has kept some youth or sweetness as he's matured. A boyish smile might be full of humor and mischief. The earliest meaning of boyish, in the 1540s, was simply "pertaining to boys," and it grew to mean "childishly silly," before gaining its current meaning.

Example Sentences

This latest special from Notaro will be her third — following the 2015 release of "Tig Notaro: Boyish Girl Interrupted" which garnered Notaro an Emmy nomination and "Tig Notaro: Happy To Be Here" in 2019.

From Salon • Jul. 1, 2021

Boyish in a blue polo shirt with tousled hair, a slight smile occasionally breaks his composure.

From The Guardian • Nov. 30, 2019

Tig Notaro: Boyish Girl Interrupted The comic discusses highly personal experiences — including her 2012 cancer diagnosis — during this new stand-up special.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 21, 2015

Boyish in a plaid shirt and suit jacket, Alaïa lace-ups and a men’s vintage silver Rolex, she looked younger than her 50 years.

From New York Times • Mar. 13, 2014

Boyish verses, written under the Byronic influence, were gathered into a group when the writer was but twelve years old; a title—Incondita—was found, and Browning's parents had serious intentions of publishing the manuscript.

From Robert Browning by Dowden, Edward