tomboy

American  

[tom-boi] / ˈtɒmˌbɔɪ /

noun

• tomboys
  plural

1. an energetic, sometimes boisterous girl whose behavior and pursuits, especially in games and sports, are considered more typical of boys than of girls.

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tomboy British  

/ ˈtɒmˌbɔɪ /

noun

1. a girl who acts or dresses in a boyish way, liking rough outdoor activities

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• tomboyishness
  noun
• tomboyish
  adjective
• tomboyishly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tomboys
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of tomboy

First recorded in 1545–55; Tom + boy

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Explanation

A girl who dresses or acts in a stereotypically boyish way is often called a tomboy. Some famous literary tomboys include Scout from "To Kill a Mockingbird" and Jo from "Little Women." The word tomboy first appeared some time in the 1500s, meaning "wild, romping girl who acts like a boy." In nineteenth century America, being a tomboy was seen by many as extremely healthy for girls who were otherwise not encouraged to exercise outdoors. Wearing less constrictive clothes and actually playing gave tomboys experiences similar to those of boys — at least before they were expected to grow up and be "feminine."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tomboy tomboys

"I thought I was the tomboy, the only girl that played in the football team, then this little upstart popped up," Westbury tells BBC Sport.

From BBC ● May 20, 2025

Da Brat said she had been fortunate to have the producer Jermaine Dupri as a mentor who never tried to change her tomboy image during the height of her career.

From New York Times ● Jan. 24, 2024

So, I always considered myself a tomboy, but I still like to dress up and be sparkly with rhinestones and glitter and fringe and all that kind of stuff.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 5, 2023

Lister, a precocious tomboy who seemingly knows something about everything, and Raine, a half-Indian heiress born out of wedlock, were fellow outcasts who found each other at the Manor School in 1805.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2023

The idea of a concert career for me appealed to his vision of himself as a poet and of me as more than a spunky tomboy.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago

Born 10 years earlier, we would have been called tomboys.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026

The sisters, who were "tomboys from the time we were little kids", were "constantly reminded we don't fit in," says Alisa.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2023

Next, they discuss tomboys, jumping off of a recent New York Times op-ed.

From Slate ● Mar. 4, 2020

Nella the Princess Knight, Moana and Katniss Everdeen, among others, represent a certain kind of intra-feminine diversity, and far more racial diversity than we got with 1970s and 1980s tomboys.

From New York Times ● Feb. 11, 2020

An Improving History for old boys, young boys, good boys, bad boys, big boys, little boys, cow-boys, and tomboys.

From Under the Rebel's Reign by Charles Neufeld

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