coquettish

adjective

Definition of coquettishnext
as in kittenish
affecting shyness or modesty in order to attract masculine interest an 18th-century painting of a coquettish maiden dallying with a young moonstruck gallant

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 coquettish For the slightly more modest, there’s lace, crochet, and semisheer fabrics that play a coquettish reveal/conceal game à la the scrim in Unzipped. — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026 The hero, or antihero, of the story is Ichabod Crane, a rather ridiculous-looking schoolmaster who has set his cap for Katrina Van Tassel, the beautiful, coquettish daughter of a wealthy Dutch farmer. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026 Both of the designers’ dogs nonetheless feature front and center in the campaign imagery for Etsy’s new Susan Alexandra x Rachel Antonoff storefront, modeling the coquettish collars and darling headcoverings. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026 Coquette Prints The girliest among us will jump for joy at this coquettish set. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 29 Aug. 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 The desire for mental stimulation, variety and excitement is undeniable, but beneath all of the coquettish energy, something vulnerable is also starting to unfold. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026 The intelligence official, who helps train America’s newest generation of overseas intelligence officers, said these pretend tourists feign a lack of English, adopt a coquettish manner and play dumb to probe the area’s perimeter and identify its weak and strong points. — Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026 Simply brushing them out of your eyes can feel like a coquettish, kittenish gesture! — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coquettish
  1. kittenish
  2. coy
  3. flirtatious
  4. demure
Adjective
  • 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
Definition of kittenish
Adjective
  • While Yandex, Sberbank and VKontakte are coy about the damage, people and businesses across Russia have reported widespread interruptions to cloud services.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In hopes of wedding out any future frustrations, Paley is not being coy about that subject.
    — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of coy
Adjective
  • And then there is the captivating presence of a handsome and flirtatious accountant called Nicholas.
    — Malcolm Forbes, Christian Science Monitor, 26 Oct. 2026
  • And though Reid does his best with the brazenly flirtatious, casually chauvinistic Rapp, Yaga badly overplays its hand with his womanizing.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of flirtatious
Adjective
  • Sofia the First boasts a princess who is not demure, but instead loves adventure and stands up for what’s right.
    — Taylor Grothe, Parents, 4 July 2026
  • Despite the actress’s desire for something more demure, the dress itself was actually quite ornate.
    — Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
Definition of demure

Browse Nearby Words

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coquettish
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Cite this Entry

“Coquettish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coquettish. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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