Coquetry
noun /ˈkɒkɪtri/ — Flirtatious behaviour designed to attract without full commitment.
Definition
Flirtatious behaviour or a flirtatious manner — the art of attracting interest and admiration without fully committing; playful teasing that signals interest while maintaining ambiguity.
Beyond the definition
Coquetry is the dance before the decision — the communication of interest through indirection, the maintenance of mystery through withheld certainty. It requires a particular kind of intelligence: knowing how much to reveal and how much to conceal; how to attract without surrendering.
Origin & history
From French coquetterie, from coqueter (to flirt), from coquet (vain, conceited), diminutive of coq (cock/rooster). The analogy is the strutting rooster — the one who displays for the flock.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
There was an undeniable coquetry in the way she asked the question — interested, but not admitting it.
He had learned to recognize coquetry and to respond in kind.
The coquetry that had seemed playful at thirty felt exhausting at fifty.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Coquetry” when the meaning fits your context: Flirtatious behaviour or a flirtatious manner — the art of attracting interest and admiration without fully committing; playful teasing that signals interest while maintaining ambiguity.
Synonyms
flirtation, teasing, allure, playfulness
Antonyms
directness, openness, bluntness
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Playful Face Delivering Clever Joke
A close-up of a person's face shows them delivering a dry, clever remark while a small, subtle smile appears on their lips.
The witty, teasing expression visualizes coquetry as an art of attracting interest through charm and ambiguity. It highlights the playful, non-committal interaction that signals interest without requiring overt or explicit commitment.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Coquetry" mean?
Coquetry is noun meaning: Flirtatious behaviour designed to attract without full commitment.. Flirtatious behaviour or a flirtatious manner — the art of attracting interest and admiration without fully committing; playful teasing that signals interest while maintaining ambiguity.
Where does the word "Coquetry" come from?
From French coquetterie, from coqueter (to flirt), from coquet (vain, conceited), diminutive of coq (cock/rooster). The analogy is the strutting rooster — the one who displays for the flock.