Meaning & use
moxie
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountableinformalAmerican
Bold courage and spirited determination, especially when facing a challenge or standing up for yourself.
Grammar: Uncountable, so it takes no article or plural: she has moxie.
Patterns
- have moxie
- show moxie
- a lot of moxie
The young pitcher showed real moxie by striking out the best hitter in the final inning.
It takes moxie to start a company with no savings.
Everyone admired her moxie when she argued with the board.
noununcountableinformalAmericanold-fashioned
Know-how and practical skill, often used to praise a person's ability to get things done.
Grammar: Used without an article, often with the verb have: he has moxie.
Patterns
- have the moxie to do something
She had the moxie to turn the failing diner into a local favorite.
Old-time reporters were praised for their nose and their moxie.
Common combinations
- have moxie
- The new mayor definitely has moxie.
- show moxie
- The rookie showed moxie in his first big game.
- plenty of moxie
- The little team had plenty of moxie but not enough height.
- the moxie to do something
- He had the moxie to ask for a raise on his first day.
- a girl with moxie
- The film follows a girl with moxie who runs her own paper route.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nerve
- Nerve can mean courage but also rude boldness, as in what a nerve, while moxie is almost always admiring.
- spunk
- Spunk stresses lively spirit and is often used of someone small or young, while moxie adds a sense of street-smart skill.
- grit
- Grit highlights stubborn endurance through hardship, whereas moxie includes bold, confident attitude.
- chutzpah
- Chutzpah means bold, shameless audacity that may annoy, so it is less purely positive than moxie.
Opposites
Word family
- moxie-filled adjective
- full of courage and spirit, rarely used
Commonly confused: moxie or Moxie?
moxie vs Moxie
With a capital M it is the brand name of a soft drink from New England, which is where the word is thought to have come from. The lowercase noun means courage.
Practice
It took real ____ for the 19-year-old to stand up in front of the council and demand a new playground.
Choose one answer.
Moxie means bold courage, which suits standing up to a council. Modesty is the opposite attitude, mercy is kindness to someone you have power over, and morale means group confidence.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “moxie”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.