coltish

[ kohl-tish ]
See synonyms for: coltishcoltishness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. playful; frolicsome.

  2. of, relating to, or resembling a colt.

  1. not trained or disciplined; unruly; wild.

Origin of coltish

1
1350–1400; Middle English. See colt, -ish1

Other words from coltish

  • colt·ish·ly, adverb
  • colt·ish·ness, noun

Words Nearby coltish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use coltish in a sentence

  • He's four years old now, so he ought to get over those coltish ways.

    Beautiful Joe | Marshall Saunders
  • The Professor's coltish Daughter regained her adolescent poise, which was considerable.

    What's He Doing in There? | Fritz Reuter Leiber
  • "He may be dead or dying," the Professor's coltish Daughter suggested briskly.

    What's He Doing in There? | Fritz Reuter Leiber
  • "Maybe he's a shape-changer," the Professor's coltish Daughter said in a burst of evil fantasy.

    What's He Doing in There? | Fritz Reuter Leiber
  • Old Bess was rearing and plunging with a coltish animation quite inconsistent with the dignity of her twenty-three years.

    Peggy Raymond's Vacation | Harriet L. (Harriet Lummis) Smith

British Dictionary definitions for coltish

coltish

/ (ˈkəʊltɪʃ) /


adjective
  1. inexperienced; unruly

  2. playful and lively

Derived forms of coltish

  • coltishly, adverb
  • coltishness, 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