unwomanly
Not traditionally feminine
Unwomanly describes behavior, appearance, or qualities considered inappropriate for or uncharacteristic of women according to traditional gender expectations.
The word implies deviation from conventional femininity—being too aggressive, too loud, too ambitious, or insufficiently nurturing: Her unwomanly ambition scandalized the neighbors.
Like unladylike, the term reveals more about social expectations than about women themselves.
Breaching feminine propriety norms
- improperLacking in propriety
- indelicateLacking refinement or tact
- immodestLacking proper restraint
- brazenShamelessly bold
brash · loud · crude · vulgar · boisterous · rowdy · outspoken · blunt
Girl favoring rough play
- androgynousNeither distinctly male nor female
- butchMasculine in manner
- mannishResembling a man
- unfeminineContrary to womanly traits
athletic · muscular · assertive · aggressive · stoic · brusque · tough · unemotional
Untidy in appearance
- disheveledUntidy in appearance
- unfashionableNot currently stylish
- plainBasic and unremarkable
- unadornedLacking decoration or ornament
dowdy · frumpy · unstyled · ungroomed · unglamorous · shorn · cropped · short-haired
Resisting authority or control
- insubordinateDefying rightful authority
- disobedientRefusing to follow orders
- defiantOpenly resisting control
- willfulIntentionally unyielding
headstrong · obstinate · recalcitrant · contrary · unruly · ungovernable · intractable · mutinous
Gender-based prejudice
- misogynyHostility toward women
- patriarchyMale-dominated social order
- chauvinismMilitant devotion to group
- traditionalFollowing long-held customs
conservative · gendered · normative · outdated · Victorian · prescribed · rigid · judgmental
unladylike
Breaching feminine propriety norms
- improperLacking in propriety
- indelicateLacking refinement or tact
- immodestLacking proper restraint
brazen · brash · loud · crude · vulgar · boisterous · rowdy · outspoken · blunt · forward
tomboy
Girl favoring rough play
- androgynousNeither distinctly male nor female
- butchMasculine in manner
- mannishResembling a man
unfeminine · athletic · muscular · assertive · aggressive · stoic · brusque · tough · unemotional · pragmatic
unkempt
Untidy in appearance
- disheveledUntidy in appearance
- unfashionableNot currently stylish
- plainBasic and unremarkable
unadorned · dowdy · frumpy · unstyled · ungroomed · unglamorous · shorn · cropped · short-haired · trousered
rebellious
Resisting authority or control
- insubordinateDefying rightful authority
- disobedientRefusing to follow orders
- defiantOpenly resisting control
willful · headstrong · obstinate · recalcitrant · contrary · unruly · ungovernable · intractable · mutinous · wayward
sexism
Gender-based prejudice
- misogynyHostility toward women
- patriarchyMale-dominated social order
- chauvinismMilitant devotion to group
traditional · conservative · gendered · normative · outdated · Victorian · prescribed · rigid · judgmental · oppressive