owlish

American  

[ou-lish] / ˈaʊ lɪʃ /

adjective

1. resembling or characteristic of an owl.

   His thick glasses give him an owlish appearance.

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owlish British  

/ ˈaʊlɪʃ /

adjective

1. like an owl

2. solemn and wise in appearance

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Other Word Forms

• owlishly adjective
• owlishness noun

Etymology

Origin of owlish

First recorded in 1605–15; owl + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

Affable and tall with an owlish face, Goebel found inspiration for “Kill Dick” in the “sunshine noir” of writers like Bret Easton Ellis, Nathanael West and Joan Didion.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

A 1972 shot sees two couples on a bird-watching expedition with binoculars held to their eyes, appearing owlish themselves.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

For many, the owlish but hard-driving Socialist and Catholic was simply “Mr. Europe.”

From Seattle Times • Dec. 27, 2023

Short and thick-bodied, dressed in a bespoke suit and round, owlish glasses, Leo looked like a character from an Agatha Christie mystery.

From Salon • Oct. 12, 2023

He lay for a moment, blinking in owlish incomprehension at the light; then suddenly remembered—everything.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley