puppyish

/'pʌpiiʃ/

Thân thiện

A young dog shows its puppyish energy by chasing a bouncing ball in the yard.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Characteristic of a puppy: Having the qualities, behaviors, or appearance typically associated with a young dog.
   • Playfully energetic or frisky: Behaving in a lively, exuberant, and sometimes clumsy or undisciplined manner, reminiscent of a puppy.
   • Youthfully enthusiastic or naive: Showing an eager, trusting, or inexperienced attitude.

Usage

• The adjective "puppyish" is used to describe a person's or animal's behavior, energy, or demeanor. It often carries a positive, endearing connotation of innocent playfulness but can sometimes imply a lack of maturity or discipline.
• It typically modifies nouns like "energy," "enthusiasm," "excitement," "behavior," or "grin."

Examples

• Describing behavior:
  • Despite being a large dog, he retained a puppyish clumsiness that made everyone laugh.
  • Her puppyish excitement was contagious as she ran to greet her friends.
• Describing a person's qualities:
  • He has a puppyish eagerness to please that makes him very likable.
  • The actor brought a puppyish charm to the role of the young inventor.

Advanced Usage

• "puppyish adoration": A look or feeling of intense, uncritical, and devoted admiration, similar to how a puppy looks at its owner.
  • She looked at the veteran singer with puppyish adoration.
• "puppyish antics": Silly, playful, or mischievous actions.
  • The children's puppyish antics kept the whole family entertained.

Variants and Related Words

• Puppy (n): A young dog.
• Puppylike (adj): Synonymous with "puppyish."
• Puppyhood (n): The state or time of being a puppy.
• Puppy fat (n): Soft body fat on a child or adolescent that is usually lost as they grow.

Synonyms

• Frisky: Playfully lively.
• Boyish/Girlish: Characteristic of a cheerful, youthful boy or girl (when applied to energy or charm).
• Kittenish: Playfully flirtatious or lively (often used for humans, especially women).
• Juvenile: Characteristic of youth, sometimes with a negative connotation of immaturity.

Antonyms

• Sober: Serious, solemn, not playful.
• Sedate: Calm, dignified, composed.
• Mature: Fully developed, grown-up.
• World-weary: Tired and cynical from experience.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Like an excited puppy": Behaving with uncontrollable eagerness and joy.
  • He was bouncing around like an excited puppy before his first day of school.
• "Puppy dog eyes": A pleading, sad, or innocent facial expression meant to elicit sympathy (closely related in conveying a youthful, endearing look).
  • He gave me puppy dog eyes until I agreed to share my dessert.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. characteristic of a puppy

Từ đồng nghĩa

• puppylike