kittenish

American  

[kit-n-ish] / ˈkɪt n ɪʃ /

adjective

1. coyly playful.

2. like or in the manner of a kitten.

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kittenish British  

/ ˈkɪtənɪʃ /

adjective

1. like a kitten; lively

2. (of a woman) flirtatious, esp coyly flirtatious

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Other Word Forms

• kittenishly
  adverb
• kittenishness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of kittenish

First recorded in 1745–55; kitten + -ish ¹

Explanation

Someone who's kittenish is fun-loving and playful, but also a little flirtatious. Your sister, although she's an adult, might jump up and down clapping her hands in a kittenish way whenever she wins a game. Many behaviors that are common in children are considered kittenish in grown ups, especially women. A kittenish spirit might be part of an actress's signature style, for example, and you could also call kittenish behavior coquettish or coy. The word stems from the idea "playful as a kitten," and kitten is from the Old French chitoun, "little cat."

Example Sentences

On screen, Brigitte Bardot was a cocktail of kittenish charm and continental sensuality, but it was an image she grew to loathe - eventually abandoning her career to campaign for animal welfare.

From BBC • Dec. 31, 2025

Her personality change is like that from the malevolent Gollum into kittenish Sméagol in The Lord of the Rings.

From Slate • Nov. 13, 2023

You could not call her kittenish: she was nobody’s pet, nobody’s plaything.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 10, 2020

Friedan — large, unkempt, kittenish as a Greyhound bus — was a one-woman repudiation of femininity.

From Washington Post • Apr. 8, 2016

Discuss some general things with him when he gets kittenish.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger