hoydenish

1 9.9

A girl who behaves loudly and roughly like a tomboy

adjective
/ˈhɔɪdənɪʃ/

Offensive

: marimacho (ofensivo)

Her hoydenish laughter echoed down the quiet hallway, shocking some of the teachers.

Examples

Despite her hoydenish ways, she was beloved by all for her honest and energetic spirit.
The hoydenish girl climbed trees and played football with the boys every afternoon.
The hoydenish girl climbed trees and played rough.
Her hoydenish behavior often surprised the adults.
The hoydenish girl climbed trees and played rough games with the boys in the neighborhood.
Her hoydenish laughter echoed through the playground as she ran around with her friends.
At the party, her hoydenish behavior made everyone smile and join in on the fun.

Synonyms

tomboyish

vshoydenish

1 6.0

A girl who likes rough, active play, for example climbing trees or playing sports

emphasizes being wild and noisy rather than specifically boylike

Antonyms

gentle

408 1.0

Kind and not strong in action, sound, or touch

demure

14 7.4

Being quiet, modest, and often shy

How Boisterous

rowdy

34 3.6

hoydenish

Offensive

1 9.9

tomboyish

1 6.0

lively

109 1.3

well-behaved

20 2.8

Surface Forms

hoydenish positive

Morphology

hoydenish = hoyden (transparent) = hoyden + ish

Formed by the noun 'hoyden' plus the productive adjectival suffix '-ish', meaning 'like a hoyden'.

Etymology

Hoydenish comes from the old word hoyden, which was used for a noisy, bold girl. The ending -ish means 'like', so hoydenish is 'like a hoyden', meaning lively, wild, or tomboyish.