minx

Meaning

Noun

1. A flirtatious, impudent, or pert young woman.
2. (dated, derogatory) A promiscuous woman; also, a mistress (“the other woman in an extramarital relationship”) or a prostitute.
3. (obsolete) A pet dog.

Verb

1. (ambitransitive) Used transitively when followed by it: to behave like a minx, that is, in a flirtatious and impudent manner.
2. (transitive) To make (someone) like a minx; (intransitive) to become like a minx.

Synonyms

coquette

flirt

😘

tease

vamp

vamper

prickteaser

wanton

tittup

wench

whore

wagtail

hussy

malapert

rake

tartar

Translations

civetta

🦉

interesseira

pimbêche

bribona

Range

liederliche Person

Luder

vampiressa

σουσουράδα

ζωηρό κορίτσι

διαβολοθήλυκο

allumeuse

chipie

🐮

espiègle

αυθάδης κόρη

Pronounced as (IPA)

/mɪŋks/

Etymology

PIE word
*ǵʰmṓ
The origin of the noun is uncertain. The following possible derivations have been suggested:
* A variation of minikin (“(obsolete) young person, especially a young woman; small or insignificant person, thing, or amount”) + a variation of -s (suffix forming hypocoristic nouns (nicknames)) (compare minckins, a variant of minikin).
* From Dutch mens, mensch (“human being, person; (derogatory, informal) woman”) (obsolete), Middle Dutch minsc, minsce, minsch; or from German Low German minsch, minsk, Middle Low German minsche (“hussy, wench”), all ultimately from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”, adjective), from *mann- (“human being, person; man”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰmṓ (“earthling”), *men- (“to mind; to think; spiritual activity”), or *mon- (“human being; man”)) + *-iskaz (suffix meaning ‘characteristic of, pertaining to’ forming adjectives).
The verb is derived from the noun.