aphrodisiac

noun

aph·​ro·​di·​si·​ac ˌa-frə-ˈdē-zē-ˌak  -ˈdi-zē- 

: an agent (such as a food or drug) that arouses or is held to arouse sexual desire

aphrodisiac adjective

or less commonly aphrodisiacal

ˌa-frə-di-ˈsī-ə-kəl 

-ˈzī-

Examples of aphrodisiac in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Junk food is an aphrodisiac here, with KFC buckets and oodles of brightly colored brand-name candy acting as culinary counterparts to the junk cinema that’s activated something in the movie’s characters and its creator. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026

There’s something very aphrodisiac, but elevated about cardamom. — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 21 July 2026

In other places, including southern German regions like Thuringia, and Slavic countries like Montenegro, their phallic shape was also associated with fertility, and they were used as an aphrodisiac. — Leah Hudson, Popular Science, 9 July 2026

The Accademia del Tiramisu traces the dessert’s history to an 1800s brothel, where legend is a resourceful madame mixed up an aphrodisiac confection for her clients. — Erica Firpo, Travel + Leisure, 21 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Greek aphrodisiakos sexual, gem with aphrodisiac properties, from aphrodisia heterosexual pleasures, from neuter plural of aphrodisios of Aphrodite, from Aphroditē

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing aphrodisiac

• anti-aphrodisiac

Medical Definition

aphrodisiac

1 of 2 adjective

aph·​ro·​di·​si·​ac ˌaf-rə-ˈdē-zē-ˌak  -ˈdiz-ē- 

variants also aphrodisiacal

ˌaf-rəd-ə-ˈzī-ə-kəl  -ˈsī- 

: exciting sexual desire

aphrodisiac

2 of 2 noun

: an aphrodisiac agent