girl
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.a female child or a young person who is not yet an adult.
n.a female child or adolescent.
Simple“The little girl was playing with her toys in the garden.”
In context“The primary school teacher noticed that the young girl had a remarkable talent for mathematics and logical puzzles.”
- 02 A2 Elementary
n.a young woman, often used informally among friends.
n.a young adult woman. Often used informally, though it can be perceived as patronising in professional or formal contexts.
Simple“She is a smart girl who just started her first job at the bank.”
In context“While the term is common in casual conversation, referring to a female colleague as a girl in a board meeting may be viewed as unprofessional.”
Teacher's tipIn modern professional English, 'woman' is preferred over 'girl' to avoid sounding condescending.
- 03 B1 Intermediate
n.a way to talk about or address a female friend.
n.a female friend or peer, frequently used as a term of address or in the plural 'girls' to refer to a social group.
Simple“I am going out for dinner with the girls from work tonight.”
In context“She maintained a close-knit circle of friends, often referring to the group as 'the girls' despite them all being in their fifties.”
- 04 A2 Elementary
- 05 B1 Intermediate
n.a person's female romantic partner.
n.a female romantic partner; often used with a possessive pronoun.
Simple“He is bringing his new girl to the party on Saturday.”
In context“The protagonist spent the entire novel trying to win back his girl, only to realise they had grown too far apart.”
Synonyms - 06 C2 Proficiency
n.a slang word for the drug cocaine.
n.a slang term for cocaine, specifically in powder form.
Simple“The police found a small bag of girl in the suspect's car.”
In context“Undercover officers used various street names, including 'girl' and 'white', to identify the illicit substances being traded in the district.”
- 07 C1 Advanced
v.to make something seem more feminine or suitable for girls.
v.to feminize or adapt something to suit a female audience or identity.
Simple“The company tried to girl the product by making it pink.”
In context“Critics argued that the studio's attempt to girl the action franchise by adding a female lead felt forced and superficial.”
Synonymsfeminize
From Middle English gerle, girle, gyrle (“young person (boy or girl)”), perhaps from Old English gyrele, from Proto-West Germanic gurilā, from a zero-grade diminutive of gaurā (“young child”) + -ilā. Ultimately of unknown origin. Doublet of gal/gyal and gyaru.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.