Dictionary

girlbossify en · VERB

Etymology

From girlboss + -ify.

Meanings

1. (neologism) To extoll female empowerment in a superficial or performative manner.
   • However, since emerging in the 1970s, the term has shifted away from being a radical "rallying cry" towards a more "girlbossified" celebration of inspirational women. 2025, Paige Johnson, Camila Soledad Montiel McCann, Sofia Lampropoulou, “Revisiting herstory: from trailblazers and herstory makers to the pitfalls of popular post-feminism”, in Feminist Media Studies:
   • One of my students recently described this modern desire as an attempt to "girlbossify" the past. 2025, Daniel J. Schultz, “Multidisciplinary Theory in Religion”, in Jeffrey R. Di Leo, editor, Theory Across Disciplines, page 145:
   • Yet despite lacking all markers of the recent trend for girlbossified costume drama, the directorial debut from O'Connor — an actor who is no stranger to corsetry herself after "Mansfield Park" and "The Importance of Being Earnest" — gives us a strikingly current take on the Brontë behind "Wuthering Heights." 2022 September 15, Jessica Kiang, “'Emily' Review: Emma Mackey Breaks Out as the 'Strangest' Brontë in Frances O'Connor's Lovely Debut”, in Variety, archived from the original on 22 Sep 2022:

Forms