flirtish

flirtish

A woman gives a flirtish smile across the room.

Definition

Adjective - Inclined to flirt: "flirtish" describes a person who tends to engage in playful or casual romantic or sexual attention toward others, often without serious intent. It implies a coquettish or teasing demeanor.

Usage Examples
  • (She often teased or showed romantic interest playfully.)
  • (A smile that suggested playful romantic interest.)
Advanced Usage
  • "to be in a flirtish mood": to feel playful and inclined toward light romantic teasing.

    • She was in a flirtish mood at the gathering, laughing and winking at everyone. (She felt playful and flirtatious.)
  • "a flirtish glance": a look that conveys playful romantic interest.

    • He shot her a flirtish glance from across the table. (A look meant to tease or suggest attraction.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Flirt (noun/verb): a person who flirts often; to behave flirtatiously.

    • She is a known flirt. (A person who flirts frequently.)
    • He likes to flirt with strangers. (To engage in playful romantic behavior.)
  • Flirtatious (adj): given to flirting; coquettish. (More common synonym for "flirtish.")

    • Her flirtatious behavior was obvious to everyone. (She acted in a way that invited romantic attention.)
  • Flirtatiously (adv): in a flirtatious manner.

    • She smiled flirtatiously at the waiter. (She smiled in a playful, romantic way.)
Synonyms
  • Coquettish: behaving in a way that tries to attract romantic attention, often playfully.
  • Teasing: playfully provoking or making fun of someone, often with romantic undertones.
  • Playful: full of fun and high spirits, often including light romantic gestures.
Related Idioms
  • To play hard to get: to pretend to be uninterested in someone to increase their interest.

    • She acted flirtish but then played hard to get, confusing her admirer. (She showed interest but then pretended not to be available.)
  • To give someone the eye: to look at someone in a way that shows romantic or sexual interest.

    • He gave her the eye from across the bar, his flirtish manner unmistakable. (He looked at her with romantic intent.)