vixen-like charm
- noun
:
encanto seductor
- She possessed a vixen-like charm that captivated everyone at the party.
Examples
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The actress was famous for her vixen-like charm on and off the screen.
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With her vixen-like charm, she easily won the competition.
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His novel describes the vixen-like charm of the mysterious stranger.
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Her vixen-like charm captivated everyone at the party.
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She possessed a vixen-like charm that captivated everyone at the party.
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The actress was famous for her vixen-like charm on and off the screen.
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With her vixen-like charm, she easily won the competition.
Synonyms
254
1.7
A pleasant quality that makes people like a person or place
A quiet, catlike way of acting that makes someone seem attractive
A playful, slightly naughty way of attracting people
How Alluring
Surface Forms
Morphology
vixen-like + charm
The structure 'vixen-like charm' is compositionally transparent (meaning 'a charm like a vixen') because '-like' straightforwardly means 'similar to' and 'charm' is literal. However, the intended sense of 'vixen' (a seductive, attractive, sometimes mischievous woman) is figurative and culturally loaded; a B1 learner who only knows the literal 'female fox' sense may not predict the seductive/social connotations. For these reasons the phrase is partially but not fully predictable from its parts.
Etymology
Vixen-like charm compares someone to a vixen, a female fox seen as clever, bold and a little sly. So the picture of a fox's quick movements and bright eyes helps explain why the phrase means an attractive, confident and slightly 'mischievous' appeal.