Meaning & use
coquettishly
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Meaning
adverb
In a playful, flirtatious way that teases or attracts romantic attention.
Grammar: Usually modifies a verb: She smiled coquettishly.
Patterns
- smile coquettishly
- behave coquettishly
She tilted her head and smiled coquettishly at him.
He winked coquettishly, making everyone laugh.
The actress posed coquettishly for the cameras.
Common combinations
- smile coquettishly
- She smiled coquettishly and looked away.
- glance coquettishly
- He glanced coquettishly at her from across the room.
- behave coquettishly
- She behaved coquettishly at the party, teasing everyone.
Synonyms and how they differ
- flirtatiously
- More direct and common; coquettishly often suggests a more playful, teasing manner.
- teasingly
- Focuses on the teasing aspect; coquettishly adds a romantic or flirtatious intent.
Word family
- coquette noun
- A woman who flirts playfully.
- coquettish adjective
- Playfully flirtatious.
Commonly confused: coquettishly or coquettish?
coquettishly vs coquettish
Coquettish is the adjective, while coquettishly is the adverb. Use coquettishly to describe how someone acts.
Practice
She laughed ______, teasing him with her eyes.
Choose one answer.
Coquettishly is the adverb that describes how she laughed. Coquettish is an adjective and would need a noun, coquette is a noun, and coquetry is a noun meaning flirtatious behavior.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “coquettishly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.