girly
/ˈɡɜːli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɡɜːrli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈɡɜː.li/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɡɝː.li/ (ame, ipa)
girly — adjective
- girlypositive
- girliercomparative
- girliestsuperlative
1. relating to females, or describing items and activities that society tends to li
relating to females, or describing items and activities that society tends to link with the female side rather than the male side
Reuben asked his older sister for tips before his first girly sleepover party.
attributive: girly + noun (event, item)
The bookshop has a wide girly fiction section near the front window.
attributive: girly + noun for a category aimed at women
Heloísa bought a stack of girly magazines about beauty and friendship for the long train ride.
Most of the toys on that shelf are quite girly, with lots of pink and glitter.
用法筆記
Often used attributively before nouns naming things (parties, films, shops, magazines) that are marketed to or associated with women and girls. May sound dismissive depending on tone.
常見錯誤
2. describing a person who enjoys items and activities seen as feminine, such as ma
describing a person who enjoys items and activities seen as feminine, such as make-up, the colour pink, or romantic films
Amihan is quite girly and loves spending Saturday mornings trying new lipsticks.
predicative: subject + be + girly
Eri felt more girly after she dyed her hair pink and bought a frilly skirt.
feel/become + girly (gradable: more/very/quite)
My niece is the most girly child in the family — she only wears dresses with hearts on them.
Ife was never very girly as a teenager, preferring football and skateboards to make-up.
- feminine
more neutral; can describe a grown woman without sounding childish
- tomboyish
of a girl who prefers things often linked with boys
用法筆記
Describes the person, not the object. Distinguish from sense 1, which describes the object or activity itself. Often gradable with 'very', 'quite', 'more', 'most'.
3. describing clothes, behaviour, or items that suit a young female child more than
describing clothes, behaviour, or items that suit a young female child more than a grown woman
Élise thought the dress with the bow on the back looked a bit too girly for a job interview.
too + girly + for + [adult context]
At forty, Asher's mum still wore her hair in girly pigtails to family parties.
attributive: girly + noun (child-style item)
The bedroom looked very girly, with fluffy pink rugs and stuffed unicorns on the bed.
Kian giggled in a girly way whenever his older cousins teased him at dinner.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: this sense flags the item or behaviour as suiting a child rather than an adult, often with a mildly critical tone (e.g. 'too girly for an office').
4. describing magazines, posters, or pictures that show women wearing little or no
describing magazines, posters, or pictures that show women wearing little or no clothing, usually to attract a male audience
Christopher kept a pile of girly magazines hidden under his mattress as a teenager.
attributive: girly + magazine/poster/picture (adult-image sense)
The old garage was covered in faded girly posters from the 1970s.
attributive: girly + poster (covered with images of nude women)
Ishaan was shocked to find girly pictures pinned above the workbench at his new job.
The newsstand owner stopped stocking girly magazines after complaints from local parents.
- pin-up
of pictures or posters of attractive women in revealing clothing
用法筆記
Almost always attributive, in fixed strings: 'girly magazine', 'girly poster', 'girly calendar', 'girly picture'. Considered dated and often offensive today.
girly — noun
- girlysingular
- girliesplural
1. an informal, sometimes cheeky way to address or refer to any female, used mostly
an informal, sometimes cheeky way to address or refer to any female, used mostly in casual British speech
Hari called across the bar, 'What can I get you, girly?' which annoyed Alessia at once.
vocative use: addressing a woman directly
The barman winked and said, 'There you go, girly,' as he passed Eri her change.
vocative use in casual British speech
She told the rude shop owner that she was no girly to be ordered around.
Reuben's grandma called every young woman in the village 'girly' without ever meaning harm.
用法筆記
Frequently used as a vocative (form of address). Many adult women find it patronising or sexist, especially from strangers; learners should avoid it in formal or workplace settings.