Puppish
/ˈpʌpɪʃ/noun
Resembling or characteristic of a puppy; childish or silly.
Did you know?“Puppish” is a real English adjective built from *puppy* plus the old adjectival suffix *-ish*, showing how English turns living creatures into personality traits.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
puppe
“A young dog or puppy-like creature; the ancestral base behind later English forms.”
Middle English
ME
poupy
“A puppy; a young dog.”
14th Century
English
puppy
“A young dog, and later a pet or pampered person.”
16th Century
English
puppish
“Having the qualities of a puppy; childish, trivial, or petulant.”
Modern English
English
puppish
“Resembling or characteristic of a puppy; childish or silly.”