English Reference
adjective

sexy

adj.
US /ˈsɛksi/ UK /sˈɛksi/ sexy

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    exciting, interesting, or fashionable.

    metaphorically applied to objects, projects, or ideas that are trendy, intriguing, or likely to generate significant public interest.

    Simple

    The company is looking for a sexy new design for their smartphone.

    In context

    The marketing team struggled to make the data-storage software sound sexy to potential investors during the pitch.

  2. 02 C2 Proficiency TechnicalHumorous Math

    describes two prime numbers that have a difference of six.

    referring to a pair or group of prime numbers that differ from each other by six.

    Simple

    The numbers 5 and 11 are an example of a sexy prime pair.

    In context

    In number theory, sexy primes are pairs of prime numbers such as 13 and 19 that maintain a constant difference of six.

    Usage

    Used as a pun on the Latin word 'sex' for six.

She’s sexy, she’s fun, she’s 60.’ I need to meet someone now .

The Guardian· 28 Aug 2026

Etymology 1

From sex + -y.

Etymology 2

From Latin sex (“six”) + -y, intended as a pun.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated