hoyden means like a hoyden: high-spirited and boisterous; saucy, tomboyish. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 79 out of 100.
hoyden is pronounced /ˈhɔɪdən/.
Why “hoyden” is a great word
HOYDEN — [Noun, Adjective] A boisterous, bold, and carefree girl or woman, or the quality of being so. Probably from Middle Dutch *heyden* or *heidin* (“heathen, boor, gypsy”). Unlike a tomboy, which implies a younger girl’s innocent adoption of boyish pursuits, or a minx, which suggests a sly, provocative mischief, a hoyden is defined by her unchecked, vigorous spirit. She is the sound of raucous laughter shattering a drawing-room’s murmur, the sight of mud on a hem from a reckless dash through a field, and the palpable energy that scatters propriety like startled pigeons—a glorious, inconvenient challenge to a polished world.
Etymology
Probably from Middle Dutch heyden (“heathen, gypsy”), heidin (Modern Dutch heiden).
adj
- Like a hoyden: high-spirited and boisterous; saucy, tomboyish.“Many of the country girls I met appeared to me pretty – that is, to have fine complexions, sparkling eyes, and a kind of arch, hoyden playfulness which distinguishes the village coquette.”
noun
- A rude, uncultured or rowdy girl or woman.“She is a hoyden, one will say. At any rate she is not a lady, another will exclaim. I have suspected her all through, a third will declare; she has no idea of the dignity of a matron; or of the peculiar propriety which her position demands.”
verb
- To behave in a hoydenish manner.