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View definitions for sexy

sexy

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Example Sentences

Crover’s robotic platform isn’t the sexiest or most exciting — particularly for a startup that began life with space travel in its sights.

Which doesn’t seem sexy to me, but I’m not big on telling lies.

From Ozy

For starters, while Dallas was a sexy pick to compete for a playoff spot before the season, the club is still working its way onto people’s radar screens.

Whereas paying down the interest on the national debt, or funding long-term infrastructure — not so sexy.

Like, what — finches are just too — they’re sexier than pigeons?

Are you seeing more commercial pressure from academic presses for historians to sexy it up a bit?

“This new generation of leaders can make cooperation sexy,” Olikara told me.

The sport of surfing is a very sexy sport, beautiful people on beautiful beaches in minimal clothing.

You have a pretty sexy online persona, what with the constant bikinis.

It was sexy, silly, and—in those relatively modest times—sensational.

She wondered if every daring, sexy technology project started like this, a cranky hacker muttering angrily about boot-loaders.

"I thought it made me look sexy," the redhead said petulantly.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for sexy?

Sexy is most commonly used to describe someone considered sexually attractive, but it gets used in all kinds of other ways.

sexually attractive

When you describe a person as sexy, it often suggests that you are sexually attracted to them. A very similar term for this sense of the word is hot, which is very informal and, like sexy, can be objectifying. A perhaps more tasteful way of saying this is simply attractive. Words like gorgeous, beautiful, good-looking, and pretty are all used in reference to looks but are less directly tied to sex.

All of these words, including sexy, can be used to simply imply that you think a person looks good (as opposed to implying that you find them sexually attractive), like when you say that your friend looks sexy as a compliment. A word that accomplishes the same thing but is less focused on physical appearance is fierce. You could also just say, “You look great!”

Sexy most often relates to a person’s physical appearance, but this is not always the case. A person may be considered sexy for many other reasons, such as their sense of humor or interests. The word attractive is also commonly used to indicate this, as in I find men with good taste in books very attractive. 

sexually appealing

Sometimes, the word is used to describe something that’s thought to be sexually appealing—by making someone more sexually attractive, as in a sexy accent or I want to find a sexy dress for the wedding. In the case of the dress, the word flirty can mean about the same thing. A more intense version is seductive.

sexually stimulating

The sense of sexy that means “sexually stimulating” is often applied to media, like books and movies, that contain sexual elements intended to be stimulating, especially as their primary focus.

Many of the synonyms for this sense of sexy are a bit euphemistic, meaning they’re intended to be a bit softer or less direct. These include racy, risqué, steamy, sensual, and titillating. Something that deals with sexual elements somewhat indirectly—such as through innuendos—can be called sexually suggestive.

Other words carry a tone of judgment, indicating that such things are offensive or inappropriate, including lewd and vulgar. The word dirty can be used in this negative way or in a more playful way that’s essentially a euphemism despite its generally negative connotation, as in dirty magazines. 

Sometimes, this use of sexy is pretty literal—saying that someone sent you sexy texts typically means the texts had some form of sexual content. The word sexual can be used to mean the same thing, but it’s typically used in a broader and more neutral way to mean “involving or related to sex,” as in sexual content or sexual orientation.

exciting or flashy 

The word sexy is also commonly used in a kind of figurative way to describe things that are exciting in some way, as in It’s hard to get people to pay attention to campaign finance reform because it’s not a sexy topic, but it’s very important. Similar words include compelling, engaging, and interesting.

This sense of sexy is usually used in negative contexts (when describing things that are specifically not sexy in this way), but not always. Cars are often described or advertised as sexy, for example. Descriptive words that suggest something similar include flashy and fancy.

What is another word for sexiness?

Sexiness is the quality of being sexy: sexually attractive, sexually appealing, or interesting and exciting.

Most commonly, sexiness is used in the same way as attractiveness, especially in reference to a person’s looks.

Saying that a person exudes sexiness is similar to saying they have sex appeal. These descriptions are often applied to movie stars in the context of their on-screen attractiveness. The words allure and charisma can achieve the same meaning without referencing looks or sex.

When sexiness is applied to media like books or movies, the word sensuality can be used in the same way.

The word sexuality can be used in a similar way, but it’s usually used more broadly in reference to sexual identity or sexual expression.

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On this page you'll find 43 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to sexy, such as: hot, inviting, mature, provocative, racy, and seductive.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

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