boyishness
1
3.9
- noun
- /ˈbɔɪɪʃnəs/
- Despite his age, his boyishness shines through when he plays with the children.
Examples
-
He checks his hair nervously in the mirror, revealing an anxious boyishness we've never seen before.
Fiction book (1994) -
It called attention to the boyishness of his face.
Fiction book (1998) -
He's not the first to comment on your boyishness.
Fiction book (2002) -
In a delirium of boyishness
Fiction book (1992) -
"Ryan did his best to be breezy and charming, full of that refuse-to-grow-up boyishness she so loved in Peter.
Fiction book (1994) -
These practices of distancing his present self from his past and suggesting an inevitable and necessary progression beyond Indian boyishness appear in other ways throughout the text, most noticeably in Eastman's manner of rationalizing and demystifying his own experiences of Indian culture.
Academic text (2001) -
Her boyishness made her stand out in the group of girls at the party.
-
The athlete's boyishness is evident in his playful attitude during the game.
Synonyms
1
4.0
Being very cute and charming so people feel affection
1
7.2
A way of acting like a child instead of like an adult
1
7.5
A girl or young woman who acts like a boy and likes rough play and sports
How Boyish
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Boyishness is made of boy + -ish ('like') + -ness ('state'), so it literally means the 'state of being like a boy' and is used for playful, youthful looks or behaviour.