sex
gb/sˈɛks/ us/sˈɛks/
A2
English
~ 1200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
action
1
sexual activity between people
When two people touch each other in a sexual way, especially having intercourse.
Usage pattern:
to have sex (with [someone])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sex' (the act) with 'gender' (male/female identity).
Synonyms
intercourse (More formal and clinical term for the physical act.)
Antonyms
abstinence (Choosing not to have sexual activity.)
Collocations
have sex
|safe sex
|casual sex
|consensual sex
|sex life
Themes
relationships
|health
|daily life
|body
Examples
- They decided to wait before having sex.
- Safe sex practices can reduce the risk of disease.
- The movie contains scenes of explicit sex.
- He admitted to having sex with his partner before marriage.
Learner examples
- They had sex for the first time.
- You should practice safe sex.
- She does not want to have sex now.
- They had sex after they got married.
Noun
A2
entity
2
male or female biological category
Whether a person or animal is male or female by birth.
Usage pattern:
[someone's] sex is [male/female]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sex' with 'sexual activity' when referring to biological classification.
Synonyms
gender (Often used interchangeably in casual contexts, but 'gender' can also refer to social identity.)
Antonyms
hermaphroditism (Condition of having both male and female reproductive organs; opposite in the sense of binary classification.)
Collocations
opposite sex
|same sex
|biological sex
|sex differences
Themes
science
|health
|body
Examples
- The form asks you to state your sex.
- Some animals can change their sex.
- They are studying differences between the sexes.
- Sex is determined at conception.
Learner examples
- My sex is female.
- The doctor wrote my sex on the form.
- We talked about the differences between the sexes.
Noun
informal
B2
property
3
sexual attractiveness or appeal
How much someone makes others feel sexual interest.
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'sex' here refers to the act, but it actually refers to attractiveness.
Synonyms
sexiness (More casual term for sexual attractiveness.)
Antonyms
plainness (Lack of physical or sexual attractiveness.)
Collocations
sex appeal
|add sex to [something]
Themes
relationships
|media
|emotions
Examples
- The new ad campaign is all about sex appeal.
- That actor has a lot of sex about him.
- They tried to add some sex to the product launch.
Learner examples
- The movie star has a lot of sex appeal.
- The ad shows a woman to add sex appeal.
- He thinks she has no sex appeal.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sex
IPA
GB/sˈɛks/
US/sˈɛks/
Syllables & stress
sex (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (sex)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sex
- Plural: sex, sexes
Word family
Expressions
have sex
1/hˈæv sˈɛks/
fixed phrase
engage in sexual activity with someone
To do sexual activity with another person.
Examples
- They decided not to have sex until marriage.
- He admitted that they had sex after the party.
opposite sex
1/ˈɑpəzɪt sˈɛks/
fixed phrase
of different biological categories
When one person is male and the other is female.
Examples
- He finds it hard to talk to the opposite sex.
- Opposite-sex friendships can be challenging for some.
safe sex
1/sˈeɪf sˈɛks/
fixed phrase
sexual activity using protection
Sex where people use things like condoms to stop disease or pregnancy.
Examples
- Schools often teach about safe sex.
- Practicing safe sex reduces health risks.
same sex
1/sˈeɪm sˈɛks/
fixed phrase
of the same biological category
When two people are both male or both female.
Examples
- They are a same-sex couple.
- Same-sex marriage is legal in many countries.