tomboy

American  

[tom-boi] / ˈtɒmˌbɔɪ /

noun

1. an energetic, sometimes boisterous girl whose behavior and pursuits, especially in games and sports, are considered more typical of boys than of girls.

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tomboy British  

/ ˈtɒmˌbɔɪ /

noun

1. a girl who acts or dresses in a boyish way, liking rough outdoor activities

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Other Word Forms

• tomboyish adjective
• tomboyishly adverb
• tomboyishness noun

Etymology

Origin of tomboy

First recorded in 1545–55; Tom + boy

Example Sentences

"I thought I was the tomboy, the only girl that played in the football team, then this little upstart popped up," Westbury tells BBC Sport.

From BBC • May 20, 2025

Da Brat said she had been fortunate to have the producer Jermaine Dupri as a mentor who never tried to change her tomboy image during the height of her career.

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2024

He felt like saying aloud what was going on would lock his whole family into a future—solidify that, no, his kid was not just a tomboy, and this was not just a phase.

From Slate • Jun. 16, 2023

I would get some scraps of wood and build my own hydroplanes and then race them up and down the streets as those Seafair Races gave me an excuse to be a tomboy.

From Seattle Times • May 7, 2023

In fact, as a tomboy, I had every intention of following in her footsteps.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez