Meaning & use
minx
Last updated
UK/mɪŋks/
US/mɪŋks/
Meaning
nouncountableold-fashionedhumorous
A girl or young woman who is playfully bold, cheeky or flirtatious.
Grammar: Dated and can sound teasing or mildly insulting depending on tone.
Patterns
- a little minx
Her grandfather called her a little minx whenever she teased him.
The novel's heroine is a clever minx who outwits everyone.
You minx, you hid my keys on purpose!
Word forms
| plural | minxes |
|---|
Common combinations
- cheeky minx
- That cheeky minx took the last cookie.
- little minx
- Her little sister is a real minx.
- sly minx
- The sly minx pretended not to hear.
- clever minx
- The story features a clever minx.
- saucy minx
- A saucy minx winked at him from the doorway.
Synonyms and how they differ
- flirt
- Flirt names someone who plays at romance and has no suggestion of mischief or youth.
- imp
- Imp describes a mischievous child of either sex, with no flirting.
- scamp
- Scamp is an affectionate word for a naughty child, lacking the flirtatious side of minx.
- coquette
- Coquette is more literary and describes a woman who deliberately flirts.
Word family
- minxish adjective
- rare word for behaving like a minx
- minxes noun
- the plural form
Commonly confused: minx or mink?
minx vs mink
A mink is a small furry animal, and also its fur used in coats.
Practice
The old man smiled and called his granddaughter a little ___ for hiding his glasses.
Choose one answer.
Minx is a teasing word for a cheeky girl. Mink is a close spelling but names an animal.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “minx”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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