noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of moxie
An Americanism first recorded in 1925–30; after Moxie, a trademark (name of a soft drink)
Explanation
If you have moxie, you won’t let a minor setback stop you from trying again, because you’re a determined person who doesn’t give up easily. Moxie describes someone with a fighting spirit. A boxer needs moxie in order to get up after being punched in the face, and a computer programmer who spends years building a video game has a lot of moxie. The word moxie comes from a soft drink named Moxie that tastes like sugary cough medicine and claimed it would “build up your nerve.” Someone who is brave enough to drink an entire can of that curious beverage clearly has moxie.
Vocabulary lists containing moxie
Ben Zimmer's 30 Great American Words
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The Schwa Was Here
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Cope Field
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bradley Tusk, a venture capitalist and campaign manager for Bloomberg’s third-term mayoral run, said he admired Mastro’s moxie, even though the lawyer had several legal tussles with his former boss.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
El-Sayed is eager to face Rogers, predicting, with characteristic moxie, that in the future, if “you say ‘Mike Rogers,’ it’ll be like: ‘Remember when Abdul just completely demolished that man’s political future?’
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026
"She decided to go, because she's got moxie," says Ridings.
From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026
But Del Toro gives the role the same irresistible moxie that earned him a supporting actor nomination for “One Battle.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2026
You ain't got the moxie to handle no mobs, remember?
From The Best Made Plans by H. R. van Dongen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
