sexy
Americanadjective
-
provoking or intended to provoke sexual interest
a sexy dress
a sexy book
-
feeling sexual interest; aroused
-
interesting, exciting, or trendy
a sexy project
a sexy new car
Usage
What is a basic definition of sexy? Sexy describes something as arousing interest related to sex, having a large amount of sex-related content, or being very exciting. If something is sexy, it causes sexual arousal in people who are exposed to it or it is designed to emphasize sexual matters. Sexy can be used to describe both other people and objects. A person may describe themselves as sexy if they feel confident and attractive. Something that is more sexually arousing than something else is sexier, and something that is the most arousing is sexiest.
- Real-life examples: Models often wear sexy clothing in advertisements. Exotic dancers perform sexy dances to entertain customers. People magazine annually ranks the sexiest men alive.
- Used in a sentence: The actor recited the lines using a sexy voice.
- Real-life examples: Pornography often takes the form of sexy movies. Romance novels are often (but not always) sexy books. Singer Barry White is famous for writing many sexy songs.
- Used in a sentence: Joe hid his sexy magazines so his little brother wouldn’t find them.
- Real-life examples: A shiny new sports car might be described as a sexy car. A laptop that is sleek and eye catching may be said to have a sexy design.
- Used in a sentence: Paying your rent might not be sexy, but it keeps a roof over your head.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of sexy
Explanation
If a movie review describes an actor as sexy, it means he's extremely attractive and appealing. These days, this word can also be used to describe anything exciting or stylish: you might wish your old flip phone had all the sexy features of a sleek smartphone but, hey, at least you can make calls! When a person is described as sexy, they're interesting in a romantic or arousing way. A sexy song might be incredibly romantic, made for slow dancing, or an ad might tout sexy shoes that look amazing and will be the envy of all your friends. The word sexy is often used more broadly to refer to appealing or enticing things — clothes, cars, even ideas. Before sexy was coined, around 1905, the equivalent word was sexful.
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.
See Examples For:
Witkoff quit his firm and became a developer, first of what weren’t very sexy buildings in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
"He brings in the female demographic because he is so sexy - but he appeals to men. He's an honest, good, authentic, down-to-earth type of individual. So you don't really get affronted by him."
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
“What’s changed is how intentionally we are owning it. Not by telling women what sexy should be, but by reflecting it back to them in a way that feels authentic, expansive and modern.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
Eurocentric and Western beauty standards, further reinforced by 90s diet culture, also promoted skinny as the new sexy.
From Salon ● May 17, 2026
Tonight, Jillian sees Parker as a surprisingly decent singer who dances in a bouncy and carefree way that is distinctly different from his older brother’s sexy moves.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Steve Martin, who starred with Keaton in Father of the Bride alongside Martin Short, reposted an excerpt of a magazine article in which Short is quoted asking: "Who's sexier, me or Steve Martin?"
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2025
That 1995 production took a form of cultural heritage and, by making it sexier and showier, created a world-conquering, indestructible juggernaut that threatened to trample the gentler values of a tradition.
From New York Times ● Feb. 16, 2024
I think it was caught up in that moment where being a tech company was sexier.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2023
Perhaps a poor showing this weekend would have made Speedway Motorsports strongly consider bumping Dover off the slate completely to a sexier new site.
From Washington Times ● May 3, 2022
Commissioner Rob Manfred is on a crusade to make games shorter, sexier, more appealing to the lay fan who knows next to nothing about the sport.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 18, 2022
The 36-year-old was also named as one of People magazine's sexiest men of the year, external for 2023 - which Travis reacted to in typical brotherly fashion on their podcast.
From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2024
Poles and wires are not typically the sexiest of topics in a world of high-stakes politics, war, social media and the glamour of Hollywood.
From New York Times ● Jul. 26, 2023
For starters, his meteoric rise happens literally overnight, and his success is comically huge: he’s on the cover of every magazine, named sexiest man alive, and breaks virtually every sales record in the industry.
From The Verge ● Sep. 12, 2022
“Let me tell you: Dick Donner directing is truly the sexiest man alive,” Shuler Donner said at a film academy tribute to the director in 2017.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 5, 2021
“I build my teams with underdogs as well, guys that maybe aren’t the sexiest and biggest-named, highest-paid guys, although Lucas Zelarayan was the best player on the field.”
From Washington Post ● Dec. 12, 2020
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.
