unsexy
unsexy
UK[ʌnˈsɛksi]US[ʌnˈsɛksi]
adj
not sexually attractive or appealing.
adj
(informal) not interesting, exciting, or appealing in a general sense.
Morpheme Breakdown
un
sexy
un
not
sexy
sexually attractive
Etymology
the word "unsexy" is a modern english formation built upon the relatively recent adjective "sexy," which emerged in the early 20th century from the noun "sex." the noun "sex" entered english from middle french "sexe," tracing back to latin "sexus," a term of uncertain but possibly proto-indo-european origin relating to division or section, reflecting the division into male and female. the prefix "un-," with its deep germanic roots, is one of english's most productive negating devices. therefore, "unsexy" logically constructs its meaning by directly applying this ancient negator to the contemporary concept of sexual appeal, creating a term that can denote both a lack of physical allure and, by metaphorical extension, a general lack of appeal or excitement.
Analysis
Structure: un (not) + sexy (sexually attractive)
- un: a prefix of germanic origin (old english) meaning "not," used to form negatives of adjectives and participles.
- sexy: an adjective of english origin (20th century), derived from the noun "sex," which comes from latin "sexus" (state of being male or female, gender). the suffix "-y" forms adjectives meaning "characterized by" or "full of."
Examples
the character was deliberately written to be an unsexy, bureaucratic figure.
the new tax policy is a necessary but politically unsexy reform.
he felt the practical, durable clothing was unsexy compared to fashionable brands.