boyish

«boyish» in Mova's school dictionary: Like a boy, or looking or behaving like a boy: «a boyish… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

part of speech

adjective (boyish, more boyish, most boyish)

meaning for a pupil

1) Like a boy, or looking or behaving like a boy: «a boyish grin». tree →

2) Young-looking and full of fun, said about a grown man: «He has a boyish face.» tree →

sense in the lessons

In The Wind in the Willows Toad's boyish excitement about new crazes makes him fun and foolish. In stories a «boyish grin» shows a cheeky, happy look. It can also describe a girl's short haircut or style («a boyish haircut»).

examples

• Grandad still has a boyish grin. tree →
• The teacher's boyish face made him look very young. tree →
• Toad clapped his hands with boyish excitement. tree →
• She had a short, boyish haircut. tree →
• His boyish enthusiasm for trains never faded. tree →
• The coach laughed with boyish delight when they won. tree →

note

From «boy» + «-ish». Same pattern: girlish, childish. Do not confuse with «childish», which is usually a criticism (silly).

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «boyish» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.