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

In between awards at the Friday, Feb. 7 ceremony in Los Angeles, host Handler, 49, stood next to Fiennes' table and began praising Nicole Kidman's 2024 erotic thriller Babygirl. —Tommy McArdle, People.com, 8 Feb. 2025

Plus, the cast is a treasure trove of future stars — Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, and even Allison Janney, who steals every scene as the wildly inappropriate guidance counselor turned erotic novelist. —Janey Tracey, EW.com, 7 Feb. 2025

The film is described as an erotic thriller set in New York’s fashion world. —Zac Ntim, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2025

There are foundries in America that pour things to order and have a whole section devoted to erotic sculpture. —Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 6 Feb. 2025

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