adjective
boyish
BOYIHSH
Boyish (adjective) means resembling or characteristic of a boy in appearance or manner. Example: “He still has a boyish grin, even in his forties.”
adjective
1
Resembling or characteristic of a boy in appearance or manner.
"People disliked his boyish and juvenile behaviour."
"Her boyish figure belied her femininity."
"He still has a boyish grin, even in his forties."
"She wore her hair in a boyish crop."
"There were no signs and no one quite knew how to navigate the museum, including, as it was Fleet Week, gaggles of boyish sailors all in their summer whites. It looked like a Frank Sinatra movie."
— Vicki Woods (2014)
How to use boyish
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLooking or acting like a young boy, in a youthful or playful way.
Common pairings
boyish charm
boyish grin
boyish enthusiasm
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like boyish.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Comparative
- more boyish
- Superlative
- most boyish
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
He still has a _____ grin, even in his forties.
Etymology
From "boy" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-ish."
Synonyms
View more →
boylike
schoolboyish
Antonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “boyish” mean?
The word “boyish” means resembling or characteristic of a boy in appearance or manner. In plain terms, looking or acting like a young boy, in a youthful or playful way.
How do you pronounce “boyish”?
“Boyish” is pronounced BOYIHSH (/ˈbɔɪ.ɪʃ/ in IPA).
How do you use “boyish” in a sentence?
Here is “boyish” used in a sentence: “He still has a boyish grin, even in his forties.”
What part of speech is “boyish”?
“Boyish” is an adjective.
