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womanly

[ woom-uhn-lee ]
/ ˈwʊm ən li /
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See synonyms for: womanly / womanliness / womanness on Thesaurus.com
adjective
like or befitting a woman; feminine; not masculine or girlish.
adverb
in the manner of, or befitting, a woman.
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Origin of womanly

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English wommanli(che); see woman, -ly

synonym study for womanly

2. Womanly, womanlike, womanish mean having the traits or qualities that a culture regards as especially characteristic of or ideally appropriate to adult women. Womanly is usually a term of approval, suggesting the display of traits admired by the society, such as self-possession, modesty, motherliness, and calm competence: a womanly consideration for others; with womanly skill and efficiency. Womanlike may be a neutral synonym for womanly, or it may suggest mild disapproval: a womanlike dignity; womanlike tears and recriminations. Womanish is usually disparaging; applied to women it suggests traits not generally socially approved: a womanish petulance; womanish disregard for the rules. Applied to men it suggests traits culturally deemed inappropriate for men and (in what is now often regarded as a sexist notion) to be found in women: a womanish shrillness in his speech; a womanish way of stamping his foot in anger. See also female.

OTHER WORDS FROM womanly

wom·an·li·ness, wom·an·ness, nounhalf-wom·an·ly, adjectiveun·wom·an·ly, adjective, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH womanly

effeminate, effete, feminine, womanish, womanly (see synonym study at the current entry)

Words nearby womanly

womanist, womanize, womanizer, womankind, womanlike, womanly, woman of letters, woman of the hour, woman of the house, woman of the streets, woman of the world
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to womanly

feminine, womanlike, female, ladylike, maidenly, matronly, motherly, womanish

How to use womanly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for womanly

womanly
/ (ˈwʊmənlÉȘ) /
adjective
possessing qualities, such as warmth, attractiveness, etc, generally regarded as typical of a woman, esp a mature woman
characteristic of or belonging to a woman

Derived forms of womanly

womanliness, 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
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