spunky

IPA/ˈspʌŋki/
KK[spˈʌŋki]IPA/ˈspʌŋki/

spunky — adjective

  • spunkypositive
  • spunkiercomparative
  • spunkiestsuperlative

1. having a lively, brave, and determined personality; not easily frightened or dis

1.形容詞B2
釋義

having a lively, brave, and determined personality; not easily frightened or discouraged, often used about someone who is small or young

例句

Camille, the spunkiest player on the team, scored the winning goal in the final minute.

collocation: spunkiest player on the team

Darius kept his spunky attitude even after the company told him his job was gone.

同義詞
  • feisty

    more aggressive than spunky; implies a readiness to fight or argue

  • plucky

    more common in British English; emphasises courage in the face of difficulty rather than energy

  • spirited

    more general and slightly more formal; can describe any lively, enthusiastic person or animal

反義詞
  • timid

    lacking the confidence and boldness that a spunky person shows

  • meek

    quiet and submissive; the opposite of lively and determined

2. (of a man) sexually attractive in a confident, lively way; having an appealing e

2.形容詞C1
釋義

(of a man) sexually attractive in a confident, lively way; having an appealing energetic sexiness

例句

Jabari looked really spunky in his leather jacket and crisp white shirt at the party.

Saira would not stop talking about the spunky actor in the new action film.

collocation: spunky actor

同義詞
  • hot

    much more common and direct; widely used across all age groups

  • sexy

    standard term; less specific about the lively, energetic quality that spunky implies

用法筆記

This sense is informal and usually used by or about women describing a man's appearance. It is less common in formal writing or self-description.

常見錯誤

❌She described her boyfriend as spunky
✅She described her boyfriend as hot or handsome
💡'spunky' in the sexual-attraction sense is informal and can be confused with the more common 'energetic and brave' meaning.