boyish

American  

[boi-ish] / ˈbɔɪ ɪʃ /

adjective

1. of or befitting a boy; engagingly youthful or innocent.

   a boyish grin.

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boyish British  

/ ˈbɔɪɪʃ /

adjective

1. of or like a boy in looks, behaviour, or character, esp when regarded as attractive or endearing

   a boyish smile

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Other Word Forms

• boyishly adverb
• boyishness noun
• unboyish adjective
• unboyishly adverb
• unboyishness noun

Etymology

Origin of boyish

First recorded in 1540–50; boy + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

It was light and floaty, with thin shoulder straps, the type of outfit I imagined flappers with boyish figures wore for a night out at a speakeasy or a dance hall.

From Literature

Happily, Mr. Hamilton, who retains his boyish handsomeness, infuses this recollected ardor with convincing feeling.

From The Wall Street Journal

For some reason, despite their boyish features they have thick beards.

From BBC

The man looks Jakob up and down and so do I. He’s taller than I remember but still has a boyish face.

From Literature

The term refers to younger, slim gay men with a boyish look, and Sivan's image appears prominently in Google results and on Wikipedia's definition page.

From BBC