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 of erotic

• sexy

Examples of erotic in a Sentence

the erotic aspects of the story of Beauty and the Beast

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s a strong hook, but Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke is just getting started with an erotic political tragicomedy that, like a Roomba, is forever veering off in unexpected directions. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026

Our antiheroine deals with these indignities by developing an erotic obsession with the department’s new, also-married hire, Vladimir (Leo Woodall). —Judy Berman, Time, 5 Mar. 2026

Weisz’s antiheroine is a middle-aged professor with chronic writer’s block and mounting insecurity about her potential irrelevance, both erotic and pedagogical. —Alison Herman, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026

These erotic novels are part of the romance-meets-fantasy genre known as romantasy. —Fleurine Tideman, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Greek erōtikos, from erōt-, erōs

First Known Use

1621, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing erotic

• anti-erotic

Rhymes for erotic

• aprotic
• aquatic
• biotic
• chaotic
• cirrhotic
• despotic
• dichotic
• euphotic
• exotic
• fibrotic
• hieratic
• hypnotic

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