sex appeal

noun

Definition of sex appealnext
as in desirability
the quality of being sexually attractive The handsome singer had no shortage of sex appeal.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sex appeal
  1. desirability
  2. appeal
  3. attraction
  4. looks
  5. attractiveness
  6. glamour
  7. beauty
  8. seductiveness
Noun
  • While the state did not make the top tier for lowest crime, both cities are seen as safer than many major coastal counterparts, contributing to their overall desirability.
    — Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The shift away from promotional activity, the exec noted, has also been pivotal in maintaining its growth streak, with the company leaning more on building brand equity and desirability.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of desirability
Noun
  • Fahey said the appeal reflects a broader shift in Democratic messaging, away from making Trump the central issue and toward challenging him to deliver on his own economic promises.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Amid all the record’s babbling, cooing, and shouting, this direct appeal feels like finally meeting daine’s eye across a crowded room.
    — Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of appeal
Noun
  • The cold open was framed as a ride through a budget Halloween haunted attraction, with Grace Reiter and Jeremy Culhane as a couple on a date and Kenan Thompson as a Grim Reaper guide.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The big attractions are the abundance of alligators and, for the luckiest visitors, a river otter or even a bobcat — and the birds.
    — Deborah Green, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of attraction
Noun
  • In general, the Swedish actor is known for his often unconventional red carpet looks.
    — Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 14 Nov. 2026
  • The challenge was to create looks that appeared as though a teenager had put them together with limited options and a still-developing sense of style.
    — Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, 14 Nov. 2026
Definition of looks
Noun
  • Firstman is recognized by a musclebound music producer dining nearby with a woman of equitable attractiveness.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Write-in answers primarily cited Carrie Coon’s and Morgan Spector’s attractiveness as the reason why.
    — The Editors, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of attractiveness
Noun
  • The theme here is Prohibition-era glamour, and the music ranges from Bollywood classics to jazz.
    — Shalbha Sarda, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Set against the glamour and mayhem of Miami Swim Week, Miami PI follows a wayward private investigator whose life has gone off course and a combustible former model caught up in a murder case.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of glamour
Noun
  • The model for the painting (disputed by some historians) was allegedly Simonetta Vespucci (née Cattaneo), a renowned beauty in Florentine high society whom Botticelli greatly admired.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The company additionally toyed with the beauty category via collaborations, the latest of which launched with K-beauty brand Amuse earlier this year.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of beauty
Noun
  • So, too, do the antics of his estate manager (a buoyant Sam Adegoke), always concocting money-making schemes, and the wide-eyed adoration of the girl next door (Amelia Mason, deftly balancing naïveté with seductiveness), who wants to save him.
    — Rhoda Feng, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
  • That’s the seductiveness of the Reflecting Pool.
    — Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 25 June 2026
Definition of seductiveness
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

sexagenarian
sex appeal
sexiness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sex appeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sex%20appeal. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of lissome

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All