Synonyms

girlish

American

[gur-lish] / ˈgɜr lɪʃ /

adjective

of, like, or befitting a girl or girlhood.

girlish laughter.

girlish British

/ ˈɡɜːlɪʃ /

adjective

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

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of girlish

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

Vocabulary lists containing girlish

Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ish

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

girlish

There was nothing girlish or even mock-girlish about their swagger — they were women.

From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026

It’s fitting, then, that the aesthetic has been adopted by Gen Z fiction writers like Honor Levy, whose paperback edition of “My First Book” includes girlish heart stickers on a hot pink background.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2026

Isolde is a mercurial character, and Ms. Davidsen expressed her simmering rage, her girlish flirtatiousness, and her serenity in the “Liebestod.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026

Hello Kitty launched as the Japanese 'kawaii' culture — a hyperfeminine, girlish aesthetic — gained popularity across the world.

From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026

Dressed in black as always, she was nevertheless suddenly young and girlish, eyes sparkling with joy at this greatest occasion the ten Booms had ever held.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023