Hoyden
adj, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·College level
Definitions
- 1 A rude, uncultured or rowdy girl or woman. archaic
"She is a hoyden, one will say. At any rate she is not a lady, another will exclaim. I have suspected her all through, a third will declare; she has no idea of the dignity of a matron; or of the peculiar propriety which her position demands."
- 2 a girl who behaves in a boyish manner wordnet
- 1 To behave in a hoydenish manner. intransitive
- 1 Like a hoyden: high-spirited and boisterous; saucy, tomboyish.
"Many of the country girls I met appeared to me pretty – that is, to have fine complexions, sparkling eyes, and a kind of arch, hoyden playfulness which distinguishes the village coquette."
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"She is a hoyden, one will say. At any rate she is not a lady, another will exclaim. I have suspected her all through, a third will declare; she has no idea of the dignity of a matron; or of the peculiar propriety which her position demands."
Etymology
Probably from Middle Dutch heyden (“heathen, gypsy”), heidin (Modern Dutch heiden).
Related phrases
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.