adjective
-
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
- sexily adverb
- sexiness noun
- unsexy adjective
Etymology
Origin of sexy
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.
Materials and industrials are less sexy than technology, and less loved.
From Barron's
Tax management isn’t as sexy as hitting the jackpot with the right stocks, but these strategies can prove highly profitable in the long run.
From Barron's
Investors have also embraced less sexy names, companies in boring industries like garbage collection and recycling.
From Barron's
The market’s tech obsession makes it easy to overlook events happening in “less sexy” corners of the economy.
From Barron's
“Ford is by no means a really sexy name at this moment but they’ve been able to deliver free cash flow and volume growth,” said Keith Buchanan, a senior portfolio manager at Globalt Investments.
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.
