adj Uncommon

girly

GUR-lee

Girly (adj) means Stereotypically feminine or delicate; not masculine. Example: “He teased his brother for driving such a girly car.”

adj

Stereotypically feminine or delicate; not masculine.

"He teased his brother for driving such a girly car."

"She loves girly things like pink nail polish and glitter."

Weak or feeble (informal, often dismissive).

"Don't be so girly about a little rain."

How to use girly

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishStereotypically feminine in style, or (used dismissively) weak.

When to use it

The "weak" sense is dated and widely seen as sexist; best avoided in careful writing.

Common pairings

girly drink girly colors girly girl

Word forms

girlier comparative, girlies plural, girliest superlative

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He teased his brother for driving such a _____ car.

Etymology

Formed from girl + the adjective suffix -y.

Synonyms

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feminine girlish puellile puelline womanly effeminate unmanly

Antonyms

butch hoyden hoydenish mannish tomboyish masculine unwomanly manly

Related words

human female male feminine manly masculine butch effeminate

Rhymes for girly

fairly swirly unfairly

See all rhymes for girly →

Frequently asked questions

What does “girly” mean?

The word “girly” means stereotypically feminine or delicate; not masculine. In plain terms, stereotypically feminine in style, or (used dismissively) weak.

How do you pronounce “girly”?

“Girly” is pronounced GUR-lee (/ˈɡɝli/ in IPA).

How do you use “girly” in a sentence?

Here is “girly” used in a sentence: “He teased his brother for driving such a girly car.”

What is another word for “girly”?

Words with a similar meaning to “girly” include feminine, girlish, puellile, puelline, womanly and effeminate.

What is the opposite of “girly”?

The opposite of “girly” — its antonyms — are butch, hoyden, hoydenish, mannish and tomboyish.

What part of speech is “girly”?

“Girly” is an adjective.

Is “girly” a common word?

“Girly” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “girly” have?

“Girly” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: stereotypically feminine or delicate; not masculine.

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human female male feminine manly masculine butch effeminate