womanish

[ woom-uh-nish ]

adjective

1. womanlike or feminine.
2. weakly feminine; effeminate.

womanish

/ ˈwʊmənɪʃ /

adjective

1. having qualities or characteristics regarded as unsuitable to a strong character of either sex, esp a man
2. characteristic of or suitable for a woman

Derived Forms

• ˈwomanishly, adverb
• ˈwomanishness, noun

Other Words From

• woman·ish·ly adverb
• woman·ish·ness noun
• un·woman·ish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of womanish¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; woman, -ish ¹

Synonym Study

See womanly.

Example Sentences

One of my men whom I knew for a womanish fellow, asked if he should put his bayonet through him.

From The Daily Beast

He knew that it must be one of the womanish, hysterical, sentimental type of things which he despised.

From Project Gutenberg

One of my men, whom I knew for a womanish fellow, asked if he should put his bayonet through him.

From Project Gutenberg

His earnest devotion touched her not a little, but she felt her instinctive sympathy for him to be womanish weakness.

From Project Gutenberg

A man could not say this out loud because sentiment was supposed to be essentially womanish.

From Project Gutenberg

There is something essentially womanish in the irrepressible garrulity of her moral reflections.

From Project Gutenberg