poxy

/ ˈpɒksɪ /

adjective

1. having or having had syphilis
2. rotten; lousy

Example Sentences

So I goes to him, and 'accept this poxy commission,' says I; 'turn King's man and save your neck and ours.'

From Project Gutenberg

Paul said, "What ever happened to those poxy flying saucers?"

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• contemptible
• despicable
• detestable
• execrable
• hateful
• horrible
• horrid
• vile
• worthless

More About Poxy

What does poxy mean?

Poxy is an informal word used to call something rotten, lousy, or worthless. It is based on the literal sense of poxy, meaning that someone has the pox (either syphilis or smallpox).

Pox is a general name given to a type of disease in which pus-filled bumps or sores form on the skin. Poxy isn’t really used in the literal sense anymore. Its use as a mildly insulting term is most often seen in the U.K. and Ireland.

Example: I wouldn’t be caught dead in that poxy pub.

Where does poxy come from?

Poxy goes back at least to the 1750s in the literal sense. It comes from pox combined with the suffix -y (seen in words like juicy and sticky). Pox is a variant of pocks, the plural of pock (as in pockmark), referring to a blister or pustule. Earlier forms of poxy included poxed and pocky, and both referred to having smallpox or syphilis (which is sometimes called great pox).

The sense of poxy meaning “rotten” came into use in English by the 1900s. The migration to this use happened in the same way as lousy (“having lice”) and mangy (“having mange”)—in which a specific condition or disease was turned into a general word for something negative. As a slang term, poxy is less common than other alternatives, like bloody.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of poxy?

• poxier
• poxiest
• pox

What are some synonyms for poxy?

• lousy 
• rotten 
• rubbish

What are some words that share a root or word element with poxy?

• pockmark

How is poxy used in real life?

In the U.K. and Ireland, poxy is used in much the same way as lousy or any adjective that conveys frustration with or contempt of something.

Still utterly ENRAGED that Tesco used one of the greatest films of all time to market their poxy club card subscription pic.twitter.com/kOw6Ymal4s

— The Tall Girl (@VickyBlinston) November 9, 2019

Know what, im fed up of this poxy cold weather now.. defrosting the van every morning, dark before 5, wearing 4 layers…. summer where you at fella?

— Dai Williams (@Daiwilliams_183) January 20, 2020

Yorkshire Party and the BBC. What is at stake here is not some mention on a poxy BBC website but how Yorkshire is perceived by the UK establishment. We cannot allow this discrimination against us to continue. We demand recognition and fair treatment for Yorkshire.

— Transforming Yorkshire (@TransformingYo3) November 18, 2019

 

Try using poxy!

Which of the following sentences uses poxy correctly?

A. These poxy new shoes make me feel great.
B. These lovely roses smell absolutely poxy.
C. That poxy thief stole all my money.