Taxonomy of meanings for 窈:  

  • 窈 yǎo (OC: qiiwʔ MC: ʔeu) 烏皎切 上 廣韻:【窈窱深也靜也 】
    • OBSCURE
      • vi.redbe mysterious, be obscure
      • vibe mysterious, be obscureTWH
    • SEXY
      • vadNbeautiful and attractive
      • viFANGYAN, between Qín and Jìn: psychologically beautiful

    Additional information about 窈

    說文解字: 【窈】,深遠也。从穴、幼聲。 【烏皎切】

      Criteria
    • SEXY

      1. The general noun is sè 色 "female beauty" which seems to be used only in nominal functions.

      2. The specific "adjective" would be yàn 艷 / 豔 which comes as close to "sexy" as any ancient Chinese word. ZUO: 美而艷

      3. Jiǎo 姣 (also applied to men) and jiāo 嬌 are less dramatic than yàn 艷 and refer to personal charm as well beauty as such.

      4. Yǎo tiǎo 窈窕 is the standard poetic cliche word for female attractiveness.

      5. Mèi 媚 "seductively beautiful" includes an idea of deliberate acting or deliberate use of make-up to please someone. See FLATTER.

      6. Kuā 姱 "lovely" is a highly poetic SHI and CC word of little currency in prose writing.