coltish

[ kohl-tish ]

adjective

1. playful; frolicsome.
2. of, relating to, or resembling a colt.
3. not trained or disciplined; unruly; wild.

coltish

/ ˈkəʊltɪʃ /

adjective

1. inexperienced; unruly
2. playful and lively

Derived Forms

• ˈcoltishly, adverb
• ˈcoltishness, noun

Other Words From

• coltish·ly adverb
• coltish·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of coltish¹

1350–1400; Middle English. See colt, -ish ¹

Example Sentences

One of the youngsters was a coltish winger from Carmagnola, a pretty market town just south of Turin.

From BBC

Velia pushed Pita toward me and got up to stretch her long, coltish legs.

From Literature

Sugarplum dances a solo filled with pinprick steps and coltish jumps, both of which come naturally to Hyltin, who loves to move quickly, and whose dancing combines lightness and delicacy in the footwork with wafting arms and a playful, teasing use of the shoulders.

From New York Times

The requirements of intimacy acting aside, she brings coltish physicality and expressive flush to all her scenes — whether lonely or laughing, aggravated or emboldened.

From Los Angeles Times

A pariah born with severe deformities, including an arm that’s longer than his coltish legs — when he runs, it trails him as perilously as Isadora Duncan’s scarf — Inu-oh hides his face under a gourd mask.

From New York Times

Related Words

• cheerful
• comical
• flirtatious
• frisky
• good-natured
• impish
• joking
• lighthearted
• lively
• mischievous
• spirited
• sprightly
• tongue-in-cheek
• whimsical