coltish

[kohl-tish]

See more synonyms for coltish on Thesaurus.com

adjective

playful; frolicsome.
of, relating to, or resembling a colt.
not trained or disciplined; unruly; wild.

Origin of coltish

1350–1400; Middle English. See colt, -ish¹

Related formscolt·ish·ly, adverbcolt·ish·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for coltish

whimsical, spirited, impish, frisky, joking, flirtatious, cheerful, good-natured, mischievous, lively, sprightly, tongue-in-cheek, comical, lighthearted, playful, jumpy, game, square, antic, fair

Examples from the Web for coltish

Historical Examples of coltish

He dwelt on their coltish doings, their adventures sought and wrought in the perfect fellowship of youth.
The Virginian
Owen Wister
Rousing themselves from coltish recollections of their own, perhaps, the horses began to trot.
Old Caravan Days
Mary Hartwell Catherwood
Youth is uncharitable to youth, so coltish and impatient with shortcomings, and so infinitely borable.
The Secrets of a Kuttite
Edward O. Mousley
Evidently he held to the rowels in fond memory of his days of 17 slender youth and coltish gambolings.
Bred of the Desert
Marcus Horton
The Professor's Coltish Daughter regained her adolescent poise, which was considerable.
What's He Doing in There?
Fritz Reuter Leiber

British Dictionary definitions for coltish

coltish

adjective

inexperienced; unruly
playful and lively

Derived Formscoltishly, adverbcoltishness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for coltish

adj.

late 14c., "wild, frisky," also in early use "lustful, lewd," from colt + -ish. Lit. sense of "pertaining to a colt" is recorded from 1540s.