sissy 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of sissynext
as in feminine
of or relating to a man who has or displays qualities traditionally considered more suitable for women thought it was sissy for a boy to like flowers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sissy

2 of 2

noun

ˈsi-sē How to pronounce sissy (audio)
as in coward
a person who shows a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger the candidate touts his wartime service as evidence that he is not a sissy

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sissy
Noun
Until the 19th century, most Westerners, including European royalty, ate with their knives (and considered Italians to be sissies for using forks). — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2026 The irony is that a minority once viewed as filled with sissies and losers is now portrayed as filled with bullies and power brokers, and straight people, especially men, seem to perceive themselves as the weak and afraid ones. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026 The sissy occupied a place between masculinity and femininity and almost always existed in service of the surrounding straight characters as well as the predominately hetero audience, for whom the sissy was a reliable source of humor. — Rich Juzwiak, Time, 21 Jan. 2026 This acting medium is not 4 sissies. — Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025 Her little sister’s third birthday, then my 27th birthday, our Christmas Eve tradition, the first time in seven years of not seeing or hearing the excitement opening gifts from Santa and sissy. — Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 8 Dec. 2022 Real Housewives, like old age in the Betty Davis adage, is not for sissies and Sutton is more of a sissy than me at 6 years old going as Truman Capote for Halloween. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 2 June 2021 There's this emphasis placed on gay people being well groomed and into high fashion, having high voices and being weak or sissies. — Jeneé Osterheldt, kansascity, 16 Mar. 2018 Giving birth isn’t for sissies, after all—and some mothers go to extremes raising their offspring. — National Geographic, 13 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sissy
  1. feminine
  2. coward
  3. effeminate
  4. unmanly
Adjective
  • The colors are widely understood to respectively represent masculine and feminine genders, which are usually assigned at birth, as well as persons who are agender (genderless or gender neutral), intersex, or in gender transition.
    — Brian Duignan, Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, Brink and stylist Shiona Turini consistently blend masculine tailoring and feminine silhouettes to create looks worth emulating all autumn long.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of feminine
Noun
  • But Coyote has hitched his hopes for the mammoth case upon a man who could only be called a coward.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The pundits feasted on her neutrality, most venomously Megyn Kelly, who called her a coward.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of coward
Adjective
  • The term kothi applies to a broad category of people assigned male at birth who are effeminate to varying degrees and might engage in same-sex relationships, but do not live in separate communities.
    — Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
  • One of the earliest of American masculinity influencers was President Theodore Roosevelt, who touted his own transformation from a timid, effeminate man – local presses mocked him in his early career – to a rugged outdoorsman.
    — Miriam Eve Mora, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of effeminate
Adjective
  • The elastic insult is meant to belittle the target as inauthentic, attention-hungry, unserious, and unmanly.
    — Erik Forrest Jackson, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026
  • For Marius’ friend, police chief Silviu (Alex Conovaru), such solicitude is weak and unmanly.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of unmanly

Browse Nearby Words

sissified
sissy
sister
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Cite this Entry

“Sissy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sissy. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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