coquettish

American  

[koh-ket-ish] / koʊˈkɛt ɪʃ /

adjective

1. (of a woman) characteristically flirtatious, especially in a teasing, lighthearted manner.

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Other Word Forms

• coquettishly
  adverb
• coquettishness
  noun
• uncoquettish
  adjective
• uncoquettishly
  adverb
• uncoquettishness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of coquettish

First recorded in 1685–95; coquett(e) ( def. ) + -ish ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

Coquettish describes a woman's flirtatious manner. If you were acting in a coquettish way, you might banter playfully and bat your eyelashes. Coquettish is the adjective form of the noun coquette, a young, flirtatious woman. Coquette is the feminine diminutive of the French word coq, which means cockerel or rooster. The word was originally applied to men in the form of coquet to express how men would strut to attract women the same way roosters do to attract hens. Using coquet for a flirtatious male is now rare, but the feminine version remains.

Example Sentences

Choose from over 10 popular archetypes, from Coquettish to Contemporary Bold.

From Time Magazine Archive

And still a while the glittering toy, Coquettish, seemed to shun the snare, And then more eager grew the boy, And followed with impetuous air.

From Poems by Goodrich, Samuel G. (Samuel Griswold)

Coquettish and feline with Alceste, frivolous and back-biting with the little marquises, cruelly ironical with Arsino�, in each act, in each scene, she shows herself under a different aspect.

From Queens of the French Stage by Williams, H. Noel

Coquettish little room where women retire when they have a love-letter to write or any other reason for wishing to be left alone.

From Rambles in Womanland by O'Rell, Max

In Process of Time, however, he perceiv’d she was a little Coquettish, and too much inclin’d to think, that the handsomest young Fellows were always the most virtuous and the greatest Wits.

From Zadig Or, The Book of Fate by Voltaire