girlish
gb/ɡˈɚlɪʃ/ us/ɡˈɚlɪʃ/
B2
English
~ 9800
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
having qualities like a young girl
Looking or acting like a young girl, often in a light, soft, or innocent way.
Usage pattern:
[someone]/[something] is girlish; girlish [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "girlish" with "girlie" or "girly". "Girlish" usually suggests young, innocent, or light feminine qualities. "Girly" is more informal and often about very pink or cute things. "Girlie" can sometimes sound sexualized, especially in phrases like "girlie magazine", and is less common in modern neutral usage.
Synonyms
youthful (Focuses on being young in general, not specifically female.)
|
feminine (Describes qualities typical of women or girls of any age, not just young girls.)
|
girly (More informal; often about things that are very pink, cute, or stereotypically for girls.)
Antonyms
boyish (Describes appearance or behavior typical of a young boy instead of a girl.)
|
womanly (Suggests mature adult female qualities rather than those of a young girl.)
Collocations
girlish figure
|girlish charm
|girlish laugh
|girlish giggle
|girlish innocence
|girlish handwriting
Themes
appearance
|personality
|gender
|age
|relationships
|clothing
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She still has a girlish figure even after three children.
- His new girlfriend has a shy, girlish charm that he finds adorable.
- Her girlish handwriting filled the margins of the notebook.
- The dress was too frilly and girlish for her usual style.
- At forty, she cut her hair into a short, less girlish style.
Learner examples
- She has a light, girlish voice.
- My sister likes to wear girlish dresses in the summer.
- The actress looks very girlish in that pink skirt.
- He smiled at her girlish laugh.
- Her room has a girlish style with many flowers.
adjective
C1
property
2
childishly feminine in a disapproving way
Acting or feeling like a very young girl in a way that seems too childish for your age.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is girlish; girlish [behavior/enthusiasm/emotion]
Common mistake:
Learners may think "girlish" is always positive. In this sense it can be slightly negative or critical, similar to "childish". Context and tone of voice are important to see if it is a compliment or a criticism.
Synonyms
childish (Stronger and more general word for being too much like a child; not limited to girls.)
|
immature (Focuses on not being emotionally developed; more formal and gender-neutral.)
Antonyms
mature (Describes behavior that fits an adult’s age and responsibilities.)
|
grown-up (Informal; means behaving in a sensible, adult way.)
Collocations
girlish excitement
|girlish enthusiasm
|girlish crush
|girlish fantasy
|girlish dreams
Themes
personality
|emotions
|age
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He found her girlish jealousy exhausting after a few months.
- Despite her age, she still has a slightly girlish crush on the pop star.
- The novel follows the heroine from girlish fantasies to adult responsibilities.
- Her reaction seemed a bit too girlish for someone in a leadership role.
- Over time, his girlish idealism faded into a more realistic outlook.
Learner examples
- At thirty, she still has girlish dreams about being a princess.
- His girlfriend’s girlish jealousy makes him feel tired.
- She wrote about her girlish crush in her diary.
- The movie shows his change from girlish ideas to serious plans.
- Some people think her girlish excitement is not professional.
Grammar
Dictionary form
girlish
IPA
GB/ɡˈɚlɪʃ/
US/ɡˈɚlɪʃ/
Syllables & stress
girl - ish (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (girl)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: girlish
Word family
Core family
girl
noun A1
girlishly
adverb
Related words
girly
adjective
girlhood
noun
Negative and opposite forms
ungirlish
adjective
Advanced or less common
girlishness
noun
Expressions
girlish charm
1/ɡˈɚlɪʃ t͡ʃˈɑɹm/
fixed phrase
innocent, youthful feminine charm
A kind of simple, innocent, young feminine attractiveness that many people like.
Examples
- The actress’s girlish charm made her popular with audiences.
- He was drawn to her easy smile and girlish charm.
girlish crush
1/ɡˈɚlɪʃ kɹˈʌʃ/
fixed phrase
naive, teenage-style romantic crush
A strong but simple and not very serious love feeling that a young girl often has for a star or older person.
Examples
- As a teenager, she had a girlish crush on her math teacher.
- He was just a girlish crush, nothing more serious.
girlish figure
1/ɡˈɚlɪʃ fˈɪɡjɚ/
fixed phrase
a slim, youthful female body shape
A slim body shape that looks like that of a young girl or young woman.
Examples
- She works out every day to keep her girlish figure.
- Even in her fifties, she still has a girlish figure.
girlish giggle
1/ɡˈɚlɪʃ ɡˈɪɡəl/
fixed phrase
high, light laugh like a young girl
A high, light, quick laugh that sounds like the laugh of a young girl.
Examples
- Her girlish giggle filled the quiet room.
- He recognized her by the girlish giggle behind him.
girlish handwriting
1/ɡˈɚlɪʃ hˈændɹˌaɪtɪŋ/
fixed phrase
neat, rounded, decorative handwriting
Writing that looks very neat, round, and sometimes cute, like the writing of many young girls.
Examples
- The note was written in neat, girlish handwriting.
- Her girlish handwriting covered the back of the photograph.
girlish laugh
1/ɡˈɚlɪʃ lˈæf/
fixed phrase
light laugh like a young girl’s
A light, often high laugh that sounds like it comes from a young girl.
Examples
- She covered her mouth with a hand and let out a girlish laugh.
- His joke brought out a sudden girlish laugh from her.