tomboy

[ tom-boi ]
See synonyms for: tomboytomboyish on Thesaurus.com

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

Origin of tomboy

1
First recorded in 1545–55; Tom + boy

Other words from tomboy

  • tomboyish, adjective
  • tom·boy·ish·ly, adverb
  • tom·boy·ish·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use tomboy in a sentence

  • She has dropped that hoydenish, tomboyish manner that was so offensive when she returned from the ranch.

    Blue Bonnet in Boston | Caroline E. Jacobs
  • I am beyond words ashamed of the silly tomboyish thing I did last night.

    Zuleika Dobson | Max Beerbohm
  • You can't keep up such a tomboyish trick all your life, and now is a good time to begin, I think.

    We Ten | Lyda Farrington Kraus
  • Would she be fair or dark, and would her ways be gentle or tomboyish?

    The Love Story of Abner Stone | Edwin Carlile Litsey

British Dictionary definitions for tomboy

tomboy

/ (ˈtɒmˌbɔɪ) /


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

Derived forms of tomboy

  • tomboyish, adjective
  • tomboyishly, adverb
  • tomboyishness, 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