kittenish

American  

[kit-n-ish] / ˈkɪt n ɪʃ /

adjective

1. coyly playful.

2. like or in the manner of a kitten.

---

kittenish British  

/ ˈkɪtənɪʃ /

adjective

1. like a kitten; lively

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

---

Other Word Forms

• kittenishly adverb
• kittenishness noun

Etymology

Origin of kittenish

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

Example Sentences

The old woman was almost kittenish around him.

From Literature

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

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

From Los Angeles Times

Her hair is bobbed and her hands and lower arms gloved; on her feet are kittenish, pointy, low-stilettoed black pumps.

From Salon

Some of them even managed a cuddly, kittenish mew.

From Literature