erotic

adjective

erot·​ic i-ˈrä-tik 

variants or less commonly erotical

i-ˈrä-ti-kəl 

1

: of, devoted to, or tending to arouse sexual love or desire

erotic art

2

: strongly marked or affected by sexual desire

erotic noun

erotically

i-ˈrä-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• amatory
• amorous
• aphrodisiac
• aphrodisiacal
• erogenous
• erotogenic
• sexy
• steamy

Examples of erotic in a Sentence

the erotic aspects of the story of Beauty and the Beast

Recent Examples on the Web

While accepting the award for best actress at the National Board of Review Gala in New York City Tuesday, Jan. 7, the actress, 57, incorporated a steamy scene from the A24 erotic thriller into her acceptance speech. —Angel Saunders, People.com, 8 Jan. 2025

But the erotic drama has polarized audiences and didn’t exactly light up the Christmas box office, either, and the 17-time SAG nominee was ultimately passed over this year. —Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025

During an interview for the erotic thriller, the director defended the age gap between her two lead actors, Kidman, 57, and Harris Dickinson, 28. —Stephanie Giang-Paunon, Fox News, 27 Dec. 2024

The film becomes an exploration of power dynamics and personal identity cloaked as an erotic thriller with a dash of corporate intrigue. —Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Greek erōtikos, from erōt-, erōs

First Known Use

1621, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing erotic

• anti-erotic

Kids Definition

erotic

adjective

erot·​ic i-ˈrät-ik 

: of, relating to, or marked by sexual love or desire

erotically

-ˈrät-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

eroticism

-ˈrät-ə-ˌsiz-əm

noun

Medical Definition

erotic

adjective

erot·​ic i-ˈrät-ik 

variants also erotical

i-ˈrät-i-kəl 

1

: of, devoted to, or tending to arouse sexual love or desire

2

: strongly marked or affected by sexual desire

erotically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb