Meanings
- Pertaining to, or resembling, a monk or monasticism.
Among the most curious, original, and lively of the monkish Latin poems, are those least in harmony with their cold ascetic discipline.
1870, Henry Hart Milman, History of Latin Christianity, page 3191 more example
The miser’s niece was there all right, seated on a little stool with straw in her hair and reading a monkish scroll by the light of a tallow dip.
1936, Norman Lindsay, The Flyaway Highway, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 66 - Tending to self-denial; ascetic.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivebefitting a monk; inclined to self-denial
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
German mönchisch, mönchisch
- mönchischpertaining to, or resembling a monk or monasticism
- mönchischtending to self-denial; ascetic
Greek καλογερίστικος, καλογερίστικος
- καλογερίστικος (kalogerístikos)pertaining to, or resembling a monk or monasticism
- καλογερίστικος (kalogerístikos)tending to self-denial; ascetic
Italian monacale, fratesco
- monacalepertaining to, or resembling a monk or monasticism
- fratescopertaining to, or resembling a monk or monasticism
Polish mniszy, mnisi
- mniszypertaining to, or resembling a monk or monasticism
- mnisipertaining to, or resembling a monk or monasticism
Spanish frailesco, frailuno
- frailescopertaining to, or resembling a monk or monasticism
- frailunopertaining to, or resembling a monk or monasticism
- monacalpertaining to, or resembling a monk or monasticism
- monásticopertaining to, or resembling a monk or monasticism
- monjilpertaining to, or resembling a monk or monasticism
Cite this entry
monkish. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monkish
“monkish.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monkish. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “monkish,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monkish.
Source: monkish on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.