Having the characteristics of a fox, especially cunning or sly; also used colloquially to mean sexually attractive. Can describe reddish-brown coloring resembling a fox's fur.
From Old English 'fox' plus the suffix '-y,' originally meaning 'resembling a fox' in behavior or appearance. The slang meaning of 'attractive' emerged in American English in the 1960s, likely from the association of foxes with allure and cleverness.
The word 'foxy' perfectly captures how animal metaphors evolve in fascinating ways - from describing cunning behavior to becoming a compliment about attractiveness, showing how our perception of animals shapes our language about human traits. Foxes have been symbols of intelligence and allure across cultures for millennia.
Foxy is primarily used to hypersexualize women, infantilizing them as objects of attraction ('sly like a fox'). Men are rarely called foxy; when applied to women, it reduces them to appearance/sexuality rather than intelligence or agency.
Avoid for describing women. Use precise terms: 'clever,' 'shrewd,' 'attractive,' or 'cunning' depending on actual meaning.
["clever","shrewd","cunning","attractive"]
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