Sphinx is a noun with three distinct meanings. It can describe a mysteriousdifficult to understand or explain; full of secrecy, hard-to-read person, the wingedhaving wings attached, especially for flying monster from Greek mythologytraditional stories about gods, heroes, and supernatural beings, or one of the great lion-bodied stone statues made in ancient Egypt.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /sfɪŋks/
Easy pronunciation: SFINKS (approximate spelling).
Stress: One syllable; stress is on the only syllable.
Primary sense: a very mysterious, hard-to-read person.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Sphinx Meaning
a very mysterious, hard-to-read person
Part of speech: noun
Definition: an inscrutable person who keeps his thoughts and intentions secret
Example: He sat in the meeting like a sphinx, saying almost nothing.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Sphinx
Meaning 2
a monster from Greek mythology that asked riddles
Part of speech: noun
Definition: (Greek mythology) a riddling winged monster with a woman's head and breast on a lion's body; daughter of Typhon
Example: In the myth, the sphinx stopped travelers and demanded answers to her riddle.
Meaning 3
a large ancient Egyptian stone statue with a lion’s body and a human head
Part of speech: noun
Definition: 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
Example: Visitors lined up to see the Great Sphinx at Giza.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes use sphinx to mean any mysterious creature, but the word has specific mythological and historical senses.
- Do not confuse the Egyptian sphinx with the Greek mythological sphinx; they are related in form but not the same thing.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does sphinx mean in everyday English?
In everyday English, a sphinx is usually a person who is very quiet, secretive, and hard to read.
Is a sphinx the same as the Egyptian statue?
Not exactly. The word can refer to the Egyptian statues, but it can also refer to the Greek mythological monster or, figuratively, a mysterious person.
What is a sphinx in Greek mythology?
In Greek mythology, a sphinx is a winged monster with a woman’s head and a lion’s body that asked people riddles.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.