kittenish

adjective

ˈkit-nish
Definition of kittenishnext
as in coquettish
affecting shyness or modesty in order to attract masculine interest she couldn't see the point in being kittenish about it and decided to just ask him out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of kittenish Simply brushing them out of your eyes can feel like a coquettish, kittenish gesture! — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026 Seductively kittenish, Gardner lives up to her profane reputation. — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2023 Madelyn Cline went full-on Old Hollywood bombshell, kittenish liner, polished lengths, and all. — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 15 Jan. 2023 To this day, she’s drawn to the bruise of blue that belies the kittenish blush, the tension between the girl next door and the demimondaine, who are not so far apart, who may even be one. — Susan Dominus Photographs By Joshua Kissi Styled By Ian Bradley Sasha Weiss Photographs By Collier Schorr Styled By Jay Massacret Megan O’Grady Portrait By Mickalene Thomas and Racquel Chevremont Ligaya Mishan Photographs By Tina Barney, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2021 See All Example Sentences for kittenish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kittenish
  1. coquettish
  2. coy
Adjective
  • For a vintage summery style, pair a coquettish white kitten heel with a navy polka dot dress.
    — Natalie Arroyo Camacho, InStyle, 27 July 2026
  • With sheer fabrics, lightweight materials, and vintage touches, Bella Hadid succumbed to the most coquettish piece of the moment.
    — Teresa Romero Martínez, Glamour, 31 May 2026
Definition of coquettish
Adjective
  • However, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn was coy about whether Smith would start against the Steelers.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • LaFleur has been coy about giving the exact status of the injury — whether there was a fracture or there is ligament or other soft tissue damage.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of coy

Browse Nearby Words

kittening
kittenish
kittenishness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kittenish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kittenish. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All