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boyishly

boyishly

2 5.9
In a way that looks or acts like a young boy
  • adverb
  • /ˈbɔɪɪʃli/
translation icon : como un niño
  • In a moment, I went from boyishly sniveling to nearly laughing.
  • boyishly handsome
  • smile boyishly
  • boyishly enthusiastic

Examples

  • The subject of the photo is an American named John Pym, still in his twenties, boyishly handsome, the freckled hero of a dozen war movies.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • " Now his smile turned rueful, and, of course, so boyishly appealing.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • In his big new office, Yamashita grinned boyishly.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • And just then, leaning over beside her in freshman composition, he had been boyishly vulnerable.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Though he was past thirty, it remained boyishly thin and silky on his upper cheeks.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • He nods toward Warren, who grins boyishly, the string dangling below his chin.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • In a green army sweater, his curly hair tousled by the wind, his eyes boyishly playful through the rimless glasses, he was no longer a shabby Israeli out of place in Paris.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The hair is gray and ever thinning, but the eyes are as boyishly blue as ever.

  • And the way Stewart tells the story, Michael Swango is smart and charming, sort of boyishly handsome.

Synonyms

childishly
vsboyishly
3 3.9

Act in a silly, immature way like a young person

is a neutral resemblance to a young male's appearance or manner

How Boyish

childishly
3 3.9
boyishly
2 5.9
youthfully
1 3.1

Surface Forms

boyishly positive

Morphology

boyishly = boyish (transparent) = boy + ish + ly

The adverb 'boyishly' is transparently derived from the adjective 'boyish' with the addition of the adverbial suffix '-ly'.

Etymology

Boyishly comes from the simple word boy plus the ending -ish meaning 'like' and -ly meaning 'in a way'. So boyishly means 'in a way like a boy', for example in appearance, manner, or behaviour.