What does "sphinx" mean?
A creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal, commonly a lion.
Sphinx
/ˈsfɪŋks/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal, commonly a lion.
- Grammar: sphinx is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: dragon, egyptian statue, enigmatic person, harpy.
- Useful contrasts: modern statue, nonmythical creature, open book.
- Usage evidence: The Sphinx began to walk around him.
How to use "sphinx"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sphinx" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sphinx" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sphinx" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sphinx" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sphinx" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "dragon" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sphinx", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal, commonly a lion.
"[W]hatsoe'er of strange / Sculptured on alabaster obelisk, / Or jasper tomb, or mutilated sphynx, / Dark Æthiopia in her desert hills. / Conceals."
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of sphinx (“a sculpture representing the Theban Sphinx”) alt-of
"In the third, which leadeth to the fonts and walkes, are two Sphinges very curiouſly carued in braſſe […]"
- 3 one of a number of large stone statues with the body of a lion and the head of a man that were built by the ancient Egyptians wordnet
- 4 A person who keeps their thoughts and intentions secret; an enigmatic or impassive person. figuratively
"...it is clear that judges are no longer required to be as passive as they once were; to be what I call sphinx judges. We now not only accept that a judge may intervene in the adversarial debate, but also believe that it is sometimes essential for him to do so for justice in fact to be done."
- 5 (Greek mythology) a riddling winged monster with a woman's head and breast on a lion's body; daughter of Typhon wordnet
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx), formerly classified as a baboon, and called sphinx baboon. dated
- 7 an inscrutable person who keeps their thoughts and intentions secret wordnet
- 8 A sphinx moth.
- 9 A sphincter. euphemistic, rare
"Constance said boastfully, ‘My sphinxes are strong and in good repair. I order you to come.’"
Verb
- 1 To decorate with sphinxes. transitive
"a marble sphinxed chimney-piece"
- 2 To adopt the posture of the Sphinx. intransitive, transitive
"A hot lion with a very bloated stomach … will adopt either a sphinxed or a squatting posture which takes some of the weight off its belly."
- 3 To be inscrutable, often through silence. intransitive, transitive
"The sphinxèd riddle of the Universe, Nature's unsolved enigma, who may prove?"
- 4 To behave in a manner characteristic of the Sphinx. intransitive
"Perhaps Nature is sphinxing us on purpose. Whatever her objects may be, perhaps she gets her work done better when she appeals to our gambling instincts. If you knew for certain exactly how your marriage was going to turn out[…]"
Proper Noun
- 1 An ancient, large statue in Egypt, with the face of a man and the body of a lion, lying near the Great Pyramids.
- 2 One of the many offspring of Typhon and Echidna, a winged lion-like creature with a woman's face, who dwelt near the city of Thebes in Boeotia and terrorized travelers by posing riddles, killing those who failed to answer correctly; after Oedipus solved her riddle, she committed suicide out of frustration. Greek
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
modern statuenonmythical creatureopen bookordinary being
Example
"The Sphinx began to walk around him."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sphinx"?
Common synonyms include: dragon, egyptian statue, enigmatic person, harpy, legendary guardian, loch ness monster.
How do you use "sphinx" in a sentence?
The Sphinx began to walk around him.
How do you pronounce "sphinx"?
Pronounced /ˈsfɪŋks/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Sphinx, from Middle English Spynx, from Latin Sphinx, from Ancient Greek Σφίγξ (Sphínx), perhaps either from σφίγγω (sphíngō, “to squeeze, to strangle”) (whence also sphincter), of Pre-Greek origin, or from Egyptian Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x (šzp-ꜥnḫ, “divine image”, literally “living image”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English Spynx, from Ancient Greek Σφίγξ (Sphínx), perhaps from σφίγγω (sphíngō, “bind tightly, to strangle”). The appurtenance of Egyptian Szp:p-A53 (šzp, “image, statue, sphinx”) or Szp:p-A53-anx-n:x (šzp-ꜥnḫ, “living image”) remains unclear.