| English Dictionary |
ARCHNESS
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
Dictionary entry overview: What does archness mean?
• ARCHNESS (noun)
The noun ARCHNESS has 1 sense:
1. inappropriate playfulness
Familiarity information: ARCHNESS used as a noun is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
Inappropriate playfulness
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Synonyms:
archness; impertinence; perkiness; pertness; sauciness
Hypernyms ("archness" is a kind of...):
fun; playfulness (a disposition to find (or make) causes for amusement)
Context examples
He talked with fluency and spirit—and there was an archness and pleasantry in his manner which interested, though it was hardly understood by her.
(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)
Marianne was surprised and confused, yet she could not help smiling at the quiet archness of his manner, and after a moment's silence, said, Oh, Edward! How can you?
(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)
Elizabeth, having rather expected to affront him, was amazed at his gallantry; but there was a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner which made it difficult for her to affront anybody; and Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her.
(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)
| Learn English with... Proverbs |
"The low fig can be climbed by everyone." (Albanian proverb)
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"Once a horse is old, ticks and flies flock to it." (Corsican proverb)