The Meaning of Vixen: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of vixen? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word vixen, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word vixen mean?

According to Collins English Dictionary and the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the word vixen is a noun that refers to an attractive woman or sexy woman. It can also refer to a spiteful woman or she-fox. One can use the addition of a suffix to vixen (adj.) like ly and ness to make a related form of the word like vixenly (adv.) and vixenness (n.) Vixen is two syllables – vix-en, and the pronunciation of vixen is vɪk-sən.

A fox is one of many predators with a bushy tail. They hunt in packs and have a pointed muzzle. This carnivorous mammal is now associated with a temperamental woman. The word vixen comes from the root vowel of fox in modern language, and originally used the original f. 

Many different languages also contain words that mean vixen. You may notice that many of these translations of vixen look and sound similar to the word vixen itself. These are called cognates, which are words of different languages that look and sound alike while also retaining a similar meaning. These are often formed when two words or languages have the same root or language of origin. This list of translations of the word vixen is provided by Word Sense.

  •  Norn: fúa‎ (fem.)
  •  Dutch: vossin‎ (fem.), wijfjesvos‎ (fem.)
  •  Japanese: 雌狐‎ (mesugitsune)
  •  German: Füchsin‎ (fem.), Fähe‎ (fem.)
  •  Romanian: vulpiță‎ (fem.), vulpoaică‎ (fem.)
  •  Volapük: jirenar‎
  •  Welsh: llwynoges‎
  •  Irish: sionnach baineann‎ (masc.)
  •  Spanish: zorra‎ (fem.)
  •  Polish: lisica‎ (fem.)
  •  Italian: volpina‎ (fem.)
  •  Hungarian: szuka‎
  •  French: renarde‎ (fem.)
  •  Malay: rubah betina‎, musang betina‎, rubah‎, musang‎
  •  Sanskrit: लोमज़िक‎ (lomazika)
  •  Swedish: honräv‎ (common), rävtik‎ (common), räv‎ (common)
  •  Portuguese: raposa‎ (fem.)
  •  Old Norse: fúa‎ (fem.), fóa‎ (fem.)
  •  Finnish: naaraskettu‎
  •  Ukrainian: лисиця‎ (fem.)
  •  Arabic: ثَعْلَبَة‎
  •  Russian: лиси́ца‎ (fem.), лиса́‎ (fem.)
  •  Esperanto: vulpino‎
  •  Danish: hunræv‎ (common)
  •  Mandarin: 母狐狸‎ (mǔhúli)
  •  Slovak: líška‎ (fem.)
  •  Scottish Gaelic: sionnach-boireann‎ (masc.)
  •  Catalan: guineu femella‎ (fem.), guilla‎ (fem.)
  •  Czech: liška‎ (fem.)
  •  Hebrew: שועלה‎ (šualá)
  •  Faroese: revtík‎ (fem.)

What are synonyms and antonyms of vixen?

There are many different words and phrases that a person can choose to use in place of the word vixen. These are called synonyms, which are defined as words and phrases with the same definition as another word or phrase. Learning synonyms is a great way to expand your English vocabulary and avoid repeating yourself. This list of synonyms of vixen is from Power Thesaurus.

  •  furies
  •  hellcat
  •  hussy
  •  porcupine
  •  wildcat
  •  spitfire
  •  termagant
  •  nag
  •  demon
  •  gorgon
  •  enchantress
  •  bitch fox
  •  tigress
  •  dragon lady
  •  belle
  •  tiger
  •  scolding woman
  •  tough
  •  babe
  •  backbiter
  •  battleaxe
  •  fishwife
  •  ogress
  •  porcupines
  •  berserk
  •  roe
  •  jade
  •  fury
  •  hen
  •  wanton
  •  hag
  •  hellcats
  •  medusa
  •  madcap
  •  wolf
  •  devil
  •  angel
  •  beast
  •  terror
  •  maenad
  •  trifler
  •  she-wolf
  •  crone
  •  minx
  •  flirt
  •  firebrand
  •  dragon
  •  scratch-cat
  •  scold
  •  slut
  •  cat
  •  beldame
  •  hell-cat
  •  brute
  •  beautiful lady
  •  harpy
  •  fiend
  •  sow
  •  tease
  •  foxy person
  •  wench
  •  beauty
  •  harpies
  •  witch
  •  monster
  •  fire-eater
  •  carper
  •  lioness
  •  hart
  •  hell cat
  •  bitch
  •  shrew
  •  hellion
  •  harridan
  •  nagger
  •  old biddy
  •  amazon
  •  hellhag
  •  railer
  •  ewe
  •  cunt
  •  siren
  •  biddy
  •  holy terror
  •  tatar
  •  grimalkin
  •  tartar
  •  fox fur
  •  bitches
  •  xanthippe
  •  she-devil
  •  beldam
  •  fox
  •  doe
  •  cow
  •  virago
  •  prancer
  •  hoyden
  •  vamp
  •  battle-ax

There are also many different words that have the opposite meaning as the word vixen. These opposite words are called antonyms, which are another quick and easy way to expand your English language vocabulary. This list of antonyms is also provided by Power Thesaurus

  •  good-looking dame
  •  cutie pie
  •  star of the ball
  •  bow-wow
  •  dime
  •  most admired woman
  •  cutey
  •  most popular woman
  •  star of the party
  •  pleasant woman
  •  diva
  •  good-looking girl
  •  belle of the ball
  •  tzarina
  •  bitch
  •  dancing queen
  •  beauty
  •  queen of hearts
  •  ugly woman
  •  most appealing woman
  •  star of the prom
  •  cool girl
  •  bobby-dazzler
  •  good-looking woman

What is the origin of the word vixen?

According to Merriam-Webster, the word vixen is a 15th century word that comes from the southern dialect Middle English fixen, from the Old English fixen, Old English fyxe or adjective fyxen which is the feminine of fox, and the adjective meaning like a fox. This is related to the Old High German fuhsin, German Füchsin, German word Fahne meaning flag and virago, plus vane and vat, a variant of an earlier word fat in the 1800s. This Middle English sound change is one of the rare southern english dialect forms in the counties of southern England and there are many examples of this dialectal pronunciation in Standard English. This is a dialectal alteration of Middle English fixen. This is the only survival of this type of feminine noun from the traditional dialects of Devon that uses the voiceless fricative sounds such as changing the local rendering of the county name Somerset to Zomerzet. This southern pronunciation of a word is also used in Cornwall. Vixen has an interesting word history. 

How can the word vixen be used in a sentence?

There are many different ways in which the word vixen can be used in a sentence in the English language. Using words in a sentence is a fantastic way to familiarize yourself with their definitions and add them to your vocabulary. You can also try making flashcards or a quiz for yourself to test your knowledge of the definitions of different words. Try using this new word of the day in a sentence today! Below are a couple of different examples of using the word vixen in a sentence to help get your started.

Solomon was put on alert to the vixen across the room with long nails by George Eliot and Adam Bede.

On the rainy day, the vixen fashioned herself a new look for easier access to men at Princeton University. 

Overall, the word vixen means a salacious woman or contentious woman. This is also the word for a female fox. This comes from the Late Middle English vixen and earlier fixen.

Sources:

  1. Vixen | Definition of Vixen | Merriam-Webster  
  2. Vixen synonyms – 273 Words and Phrases for Vixen | Power Thesaurus
  3. Vixen definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary 
  4. vixen: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense 
  5. Vixen antonyms – 24 Opposites of Vixen | Power Thesaurus