tomboy: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
MediumInformal
Quick answer
What does “tomboy” mean?
A girl who enjoys activities and behaviors traditionally associated with boys.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A girl who enjoys activities and behaviors traditionally associated with boys.
Often implies a girl who is energetic, sporty, and less interested in stereotypically feminine pursuits, sometimes extending to adult women in informal contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage between British and American English.
Connotations
In both varieties, it can carry positive, neutral, or negative tones based on context, such as praise for independence or criticism for non-conformity.
Frequency
Equally common in both dialects, with similar frequency in informal speech.
Grammar
How to Use “tomboy” in a Sentence
be a tomboyconsider someone a tomboygrow up as a tomboyVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “tomboy” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- As a child, she would tomboy about in the garden, climbing trees and getting muddy.
American English
- She loved to tomboy around with her cousins, playing baseball and building forts.
adverb
British English
- She played football tomboyishly, with more aggression than the other girls.
American English
- She dressed tomboyishly for the job interview, opting for a suit and minimal makeup.
adjective
British English
- Her tomboy fashion sense included jeans and trainers instead of dresses.
American English
- He admired her tomboy spirit during their hiking trips in the mountains.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rarely used; not applicable in formal business contexts.
Academic
Occasionally used in sociology, gender studies, or psychology discussions on childhood development.
Everyday
Common in informal conversations about childhood, personality traits, or family descriptions.
Technical
Not used in technical fields; specific to social and cultural discourse.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “tomboy”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “tomboy”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “tomboy”
- Using it to describe boys (it is specifically for girls).
- Mispronouncing with equal stress on both syllables (correct stress is on the first syllable).
- Assuming it always has negative connotations; context matters.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is generally not offensive and often used affectionately, but context matters; in some settings, it might be perceived negatively if used to criticize non-conformity.
Yes, informally, it can refer to adult women who retain boyish interests or behaviors, though it is more commonly used for girls and adolescents.
It originated in the 16th century, initially meaning a rude, boisterous boy, and later evolved to describe girls with similar traits in the 17th century.
Terms like 'sissy' or 'effeminate boy' exist, but they often carry stronger negative connotations and are less neutral than 'tomboy'.
A girl who enjoys activities and behaviors traditionally associated with boys.
Tomboy is usually informal in register.
Tomboy: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtɒm.bɔɪ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtɑːm.bɔɪ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'Tom' (a common boy's name) + 'boy' – a girl who acts like a Tom, a boy.
Conceptual Metaphor
Gender non-conformity as a blending or crossing of traditional masculine and feminine domains.
Practice
Quiz
What is the most accurate definition of 'tomboy'?