Vixenish

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having the clever, sharp-tempered, or seductive qualities traditionally associated with a female fox
2. Displaying a resourceful, enchanting, or fierce personality that reflects the attributes traditionally linked to a female fox
3. Exhibiting cunning, alluring, or combative traits associated with the characteristics of a female fox

Etymology: "Vixenish" is a simple formation: the noun "vixen", meaning a female fox, with the suffix "-ish" added. The suffix comes from Old English "-isc", which carried the sense "of the nature of" or "belonging to," and it descends from a very old Germanic ending that also gave English words like "English" and "Danish" through the same root. The noun is the more interesting half. "Vixen" is the Old English "fyxen," the feminine form of "fox," so a vixen was originally just the female of the species. The word's meaning then drifted from a literal animal to a description of a quarrelsome, spiteful woman, and "vixenish" follows that path, describing someone who behaves with the sly, sharp temper once attributed to the fox.

Synonyms: sly, cunning, wily, crafty, devious

Antonyms: naive, innocent, honest, simple, unsophisticated