girlish

American  

[gur-lish] / ˈgɜr lɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, like, or befitting a girl or girlhood.

   girlish laughter.

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ˈgirlish British  

/ ˈɡɜːlɪʃ /

adjective

1. of or like a girl in looks, behaviour, innocence, etc

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Other Word Forms

• girlishly adverb
• girlishness noun
• ungirlish adjective
• ungirlishly adverb
• ungirlishness noun

Etymology

Origin of girlish

First recorded in 1555–65; girl + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

The odd, wolfish duet floated through the air: this time it was a pair of high-pitched, girlish howls, followed by a deep and manly one.

From Literature

Wittingly or not, Gaines seems to understand that her ability to play the “victim” of these supposedly demonic trans forces depends on presenting herself as girlish.

From Salon

Katherine LaNasa’s radiant smile is contagious enough, but when she let out that girlish squeal after a clearly unexpected victory, I felt her excitement in my bones.

From Los Angeles Times

With a gimlet eye and a surprisingly girlish laugh, Vera is cantankerous, impatient, intensely private, unapologetically disheveled and utterly glorious.

From Los Angeles Times

She could be sweet, evil, overbearing, put-upon, thoughtful, impulsive, girlish, vulnerable or manipulative and superimpose selected qualities for extra complexity, always with a compressed energy, obvious or veiled.

From Los Angeles Times