tomboy

[ tom-boi ]

/ ˈtɒmˌbɔɪ /

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See synonyms for: tomboy / tomboyish on Thesaurus.com

noun

an energetic, sometimes boisterous girl whose behavior and pursuits, especially in games and sports, are considered more typical of boys than of girls.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of tomboy

First recorded in 1545–55; Tom + boy

OTHER WORDS FROM tomboy

tomboyish, adjectivetom·boy·ish·ly, adverbtom·boy·ish·ness, noun

Words nearby tomboy

tombé, Tombigbee, tombola, tombolo, Tombouctou, tomboy, tombstone, tombstone ad, tomcat, tomcod, Tom Collins

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tomboy in a sentence

There are many others getting their footing, like Androgyny and Original Tomboy, all manly duds for anyone.
Look Who’s Wearing The Pants: Haute Butch’s Gender-Blending Style|Nina Strochlic|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Or, in their words, the “independent tomboy improviser girl.”
Behind ‘Broad City’: Amy Poehler’s Girls of Comedy|Abby Haglage|January 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Harding played the role of tomboy athlete, which was not a traditional female figure skating archetype.
ESPN’s ‘The Price of Gold’ Revisits the Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan Scandal|Amy Zimmerman|January 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the traditional ice skating establishment was immune to her tomboy charms.
ESPN’s ‘The Price of Gold’ Revisits the Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan Scandal|Amy Zimmerman|January 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Somehow, the tomboy from Love & Basketball and the rest of the cast had to be convinced to return.
Sanaa Lathan Says ‘The Best Man Holiday’ Was a Silly, Super Fun Reunion|Anna Brand|November 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It was no longer the laughing tomboy of the bobbed hair and short skirts, but a woman whose eyes were on a level with mine.
The Wasted Generation|Owen Johnson
I suppose I always seemed pretty young to him and a kind of tomboy.
The Camp Fire Girls at the End of the Trail|Margaret Vandercook
She had been a sad romp in her day, and every prank of her tomboy girlhood stood her in good stead now.
A Book o' Nine Tales.|Arlo Bates
She had been haunted by the awful consciousness that she was a 'Tomboy.'
Chronicles of Dustypore|Henry Stewart Cunningham
I would do all he did, and I must have been a famous tomboy.
The Story of Bawn|Katharine Tynan

British Dictionary definitions for tomboy

tomboy

/ (ˈtɒmˌbɔɪ) /

noun

a girl who acts or dresses in a boyish way, liking rough outdoor activities

Derived forms of tomboy

tomboyish, adjectivetomboyishly, adverbtomboyishness, noun

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

tomboy

Origin of tomboy

OTHER WORDS FROM tomboy

Words nearby tomboy

Words related to tomboy

How to use tomboy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tomboy

Derived forms of tomboy