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wasplike

wasplike

6.0
Looking or acting like a wasp
  • adjective
  • /ˈwɑːsplaɪk/
translation icon : parecido a una avispa
  • Its narrow waist and pointed abdomen gave it a distinctly wasplike look.

Examples

  • The insect's wasplike stripes warned predators to stay away.

  • She noticed a wasplike shape hovering near the flowers in the garden.

  • The wasplike creature buzzed around the garden.

  • Her dress had a wasplike pattern that caught everyone's attention.

  • The insect had a wasplike appearance, with its narrow waist and yellow and black stripes.

  • His attitude was wasplike, as he aggressively stung back at any criticism.

  • The creature's wasplike movement through the air made it difficult to catch.

Synonyms

waspy
vswasplike
8.4

Looking like a wasp with a narrow waist or black-and-yellow stripes

includes behavior traits not just appearance

How Wasp-like

waspy
8.4
wasplike
6.0
waspish
1 8.1

Surface Forms

wasplike positive

Morphology

wasplike = wasp (transparent) = wasp + like

The adjective is a direct, productive formation from the noun 'wasp' with the productive suffix '-like' meaning 'resembling'.

Etymology

Wasplike is built from wasp (the stinging insect) and the ending -like, which means 'similar to' and is the same ending you see in childlike; so a wasplike thing looks or acts like a wasp, for example having a thin waist or yellow-and-black stripes.