womanly
[ woo m-uh n-lee ]
/ ˈwʊm ən li /
adjective
like or befitting a woman; feminine; not masculine or girlish.
adverb
in the manner of, or befitting, a woman.
SYNONYMS FOR womanly
2
Womanly,
womanlike,
womanish mean having the traits or qualities that a culture regards as especially characteristic of or ideally appropriate to adult women.
Womanly is usually a term of approval, suggesting the display of traits admired by the society, such as self-possession, modesty, motherliness, and calm competence:
a womanly consideration for others; with womanly skill and efficiency.
Womanlike may be a neutral synonym for
womanly, or it may suggest mild disapproval:
a womanlike dignity; womanlike tears and recriminations.
Womanish is usually disparaging; applied to women it suggests traits not generally socially approved:
a womanish petulance; womanish disregard for the rules. Applied to men it suggests traits culturally deemed inappropriate for men and (in what is now often regarded as a sexist notion) to be found in women:
a womanish shrillness in his speech; a womanish way of stamping his foot in anger. See also
female.
OTHER WORDS FROM womanly
wom·an·li·ness, wom·an·ness, noun half-wom·an·ly, adjective un·wom·an·ly, adjective, adverbWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH womanly
effeminate effete feminine womanish womanly (see synonym study at the current entry)Words nearby womanly
womanist,
womanize,
womanizer,
womankind,
womanlike,
womanly,
womanpower,
womb,
womb-to-tomb,
wombat,
women
Example sentences from the Web for womanliness
British Dictionary definitions for womanliness
womanly
/ (ˈwʊmənlɪ) /
adjective
possessing qualities, such as warmth, attractiveness, etc, generally regarded as typical of a woman, esp a mature woman
characteristic of or belonging to a woman