Etymology tree
Proto-West Germanic *gaurā
Proto-West Germanic *-ilā
Proto-West Germanic *gurilā
Old English *gyrele?
Middle English girle
English girl
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Proto-Germanic *-gaz
Proto-West Germanic *-g
Old English -iġ
Middle English -y
English -y
English girly
From girl + -y (adjectival sufix).
Meanings
Characteristic of a stereotypical girl, very effeminate, gentle; unmasculine.
Where Lulu was a bit girlier and took more delight in gossip, Tea claims to be more focused on safety, but they general gist is similar. 2025 July 25, Lindsey Ellefson, “I Knew the Viral 'Tea' App Was Trouble, but I Didn't Expect a Data Breach”, in Lifehacker:
As a mom of two girls – including one who hopes Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos calls her to play on his team in this week’s Super Bowl – I can totally relate. I, along with so many other parents, am frustrated about the definitions of what’s girly and what’s not, and the separate products and clothing offered to girls and boys. 2014 January 31, Kelly Wallace, “Pink, princess-y and sexy too soon”, in CNN:
The Forever21 of Korean makeup, Etude House is geared toward the girliest of girls – and Japanese tourists. 2017 July 12, Frances Cha, “Complete Korean cosmetics shopping guide”, in CNN:
(slang) Of, or pertaining to, a young, attractive woman; especially one who is scantily clad.
a girly calendar
(slang) Weak; wussy.
There was enough food for a soccer team and we were going to grill it. Our meatfest included no girly utensils, no wussy plates. Just our hands, mouths, and incisors. 2013, L. A. Campbell, Cartboy and the Time Capsule, page 112:
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
girlier
Degree=Cmp
lexicographic
girliest
Degree=Sup
lexicographic
Antonyms
hoydenish (antonym(s) of “applied to a girl or woman”) · tomboyish (antonym(s) of “applied to a girl or woman”) · butch (antonym(s) of “applied to a boy or man”) · manly (antonym(s) of “applied to a boy or man”) · masculine (antonym(s) of “applied to a boy or man”) · mannish (antonym(s) of “applied to a girl or woman”) · masculine (antonym(s) of “applied to a girl or woman”) · butch (antonym(s) of “applied to a girl or woman”) · hoyden (antonym(s) of “applied to a girl or woman”) · unwomanly (antonym(s) of “applied to a girl or woman”)
effeminate (applied to a boy or man) · unmanly (applied to a boy or man) · puelline (applied to a girl or woman) · feminine (applied to a girl or woman) · puellile (applied to a girl or woman) · womanly (applied to a girl or woman) · girlish (applied to a girl or woman)
Translations (10)
sv tjejig (characteristic of a stereotypical girl) · pl babski (characteristic of a stereotypical girl) · ja 女の子っぽい (characteristic of a stereotypical girl) · lv meitenīgs (characteristic of a stereotypical girl) · eo ina (characteristic of a stereotypical girl) · el κοριτσίστικος (characteristic of a stereotypical girl) · fr féminin (characteristic of a stereotypical girl) · ru девча́чий (characteristic of a stereotypical girl) · sk dievčenský (characteristic of a stereotypical girl) · fi tyttömäinen (characteristic of a stereotypical girl)
Etymology tree
Proto-West Germanic *gaurā
Proto-West Germanic *-ilā
Proto-West Germanic *gurilā
Old English *gyrele?
Middle English girle
English girl
Proto-Germanic *-j-, *-ij-
Proto-West Germanic *-i, *-ī
Old English -iġ
Middle English -y
English -y
English girly
From girl + -y (diminutive suffix).
Meanings
(childish, colloquial) A girl.
“Hey girly!” Chiles said. “What’s up!” / “Oh my gosh,” Raisman said. “How did you get in our hotel room?” 2025 April 18, Elise Devlin, “Jordan Chiles, Aly Raisman and the benefits of ‘mutual mentorship’”, in The Athletic, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 19 Apr 2025:
From girl + -ly (adverbial suffix), after the adjective.
Meanings
(rare) In the manner of a girl.
Your boobs are too small. AND YOU DON’T TALK GIRLY ENOUGH! 2005 January 11, Tamayo Akiyama, translated by Alexis Kirsch, Hyper Rune, volume 2, Los Angeles, Calif.: Tokyopop, →ISBN:
Just a half hour earlier, I had checked in by text with Eric. “Hey, Sugarbuns. Remember, I’m at Dag’s. Going to talk girly and drown my sorrow in mojitos.” 2013 April 2, Nicole Knepper, “The Vagina Dialogues”, in Moms Who Drink and Swear: True Tales of Loving My Kids While Losing My Mind, New York, N.Y.: New American Library, →ISBN, “Sisterhood of the Status Updates: Girlfriends, Genitals and Growing Up” section, page 20:
‘He really cares about you,’ Slider said awkwardly. Doing the old bosom-baring on your own behalf was bad enough, but having to talk girly about a male friend was as easy as eating a sand sandwich. 2001, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, “Not Buried But In Turd”, in Gone Tomorrow, London: Little, Brown and Company, →ISBN, page 203:
And its^([sic]) not just the blue nail polish. It’s the way his mind is attuned. He is incredibly in touch and in tune with females. Females surround him in his company. His partner in Jersey Films is Stacey Scherr.^([sic]) He can talk about boyfriends. He can talk girly. 1996 November 17, Chrissy Iley, “Danny DeVito”, in Men, Women, Love, Sex, God & Death: The Collected Sunday Times Writings, London: André Deutsch, published 1997, →ISBN, chapter 10 (Sweet), page 340:
“[…] To me, he looks kinda girly to be in charge.” […] “Grab any sword you like, and we’ll see if I fight ‘girly’.” 2013 June 19, Michael J. Bowler, “We’re Brothers Now, Aren’t We?”, in Children of the Knight (The Lance Chronicles; 1), Tallahassee, Fla.: Harmony Ink Press, →ISBN, pages 93–94:
Women who try too hard to be one of the boys ain’t my thing, I realized on the cusp of mid-life. I like women who talk girly, act girly, and engage in the girly sisterhood: dress nice, but not pretentiously, giggle often, and know that a gentle stroke of the fingertips along the back of a fellow’s neck is sexier than anything this side of newly worn silk nighties. 2015 August 5, Barry F. Schnell, chapter 4, in Coccyx Cousins, [Bloomington, Ind.]: Xlibris, →ISBN:
Is your wife now grumpy, surly, / Will not cuddle, won’t talk girly? / Hints she’s craving soft, sweet chat? / Then rush right out, buy her a cat! 2020, Rolland “Moose” Amos, “Poetry Potpourri”, in Junk Poetry III, Pittsburgh, Pa.: Dorrance Publishing Co, published 12 May 2021, →ISBN, page 25:
“[…] Like if he talks kind of girly, or sort of walks like a girl, it might mean he’s gay.” “I don’t talk girly, do I?” I squeak in alarm. “No, sugar, you don’t talk girly,” she says and preemptively adds, “and you don’t walk girly either.” […] (He’s always talked kind of girly himself.) 2017 August 28, Huston Piner, “Dedicated to the One I Love”, in My Life as a Myth (Chadham High; 1), Albuquerque, N.M.: NineStar Press, →ISBN, page 196:
Taichi can speak girly; how he would sound in falsetto is anybody's guess, but he's far from the manliest of men while Youko is far from the girliest of girls, and it's not unbelievable that his practice of girl's speech went as far as that (though at six-seven years old he wouldn't have had issues). 2013 October 25, George Henry Shaft, “CCC3003”, in On Cross Channel, 10ᵗʰ anniversary edition, ASIN B0DTW4T573: