sis·sy

(sĭs′ē)

n. pl. sis·sies

1. A person regarded as timid or cowardly.

2. Offensive A boy or man regarded as effeminate.

3. Informal Sister.

[ Diminutive of sis.]

sis′si·fied′ (-fīd′) adj.

sis′si·ness, sis′sy·ness n.

sis′sy·ish adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

sissiness

or sissyness
noun

The quality of being effeminate:

effeminacy, effeminateness, femininity, unmanliness, womanishness.

Mentioned in

sissiness

References in classic literature

He was slender and dapper, and in appearance and comportment was so sweet- and gentle-spirited that the impression he radiated was almost of sissyness. He might have taught a Sunday-school, presided over a girls' seminary, or been a president of a humane society.

View in context

In this story the ducks are not dealing with the social issue of homosexuality, but rather with that of divergent male gender expression or gender non-compliance, that is to say, effeminateness or "sissyness." The engagement with the topic is carried out in a way that is perceived to be suitable for children; in fact, the word "homosexuality" is never mentioned, nor are issues of same-sex attraction.

Queer ducks, Puerto Rican patos, and Jewish-American feygelekh: birds and the cultural representation of homosexuality

AS I BEGIN WRITING this review, an e-mail from John D'Emilio pops up on the Queer Studies List, a reaction to an account of an appallingly homophobic and misogynistic lecture given by a controversial researcher working on the etiology of homosexuality and its links to gender atypical behaviour, in other words to "sissyness" or "tomboyishness:" "A generation ago, queer activists made it very difficult for an earlier generation of ...

John D'Emilio, The World Turned: Essays on Gay History, Politics and Culture

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