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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Origin of tomboy

First recorded in 1545–55; Tom + boy

OTHER WORDS FROM tomboy

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use tomboy in a sentence

Outdoorswomen in particular can be pigeonholed as tomboys, a term that once referred to women who sought basic rights, such as working and voting.
In Praise of the Adventure Dress|Alison Van Houten|August 22, 2020|Outside Online
There she was—tomboyish and slight—beside her mother, who was stitching.
On Yom Kippur, Remember My Palestinian Mother|Samer Badawi|September 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Tough and tomboyish, she has participated in protests against pageants.
Models vs. Militants: Nisha Pahuja’s Film Shows Two Worlds of Indian Women|Abigail Pesta|May 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST
First there was Sarah Silverman, girly-voiced, tomboyish and potty-mouthed—the guys loved her.
How Stand-Up Got Sexy|Yael Kohen|September 24, 2011|DAILY BEAST

She was not a pretty girl, but was a tremendously healthy one--strong, well developed, and tomboyish in her activities.
The Girls of Central High Aiding the Red Cross|Gertrude W. Morrison
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

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 related to tomboy

How to use tomboy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tomboy

Derived forms of tomboy