phallic

adjective

phal·​lic ˈfa-lik 

1

: of or relating to phallicism

a phallic cult

2

: of, relating to, or resembling a phallus

3

: relating to or being the stage of psychosexual development in psychoanalytic theory that follows the anal stage and during which a child becomes interested in their own sexual organs

phallically

ˈfa-li-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of phallic in a Sentence

The poem is filled with phallic imagery.

an ancient Greek phallic symbol representing fertility

Recent Examples on the Web

The musical, brimming over with Broadway in-jokes and phallic humor, doesn’t build so much as whip itself into a frenzy. —Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026

Small, phallic-looking worms rummaged through ocean-floor sediments while blind swimming beasts flung out whiplike tentacles to ensnare prey. —Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 1 May 2026

Scissors is a clever and funny romp that turns the tables on the slasher format and deconstructs the phallic symbolism associated with the genre. —Richard Newby, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026

Erupting from the ground was a slightly pixelated but undeniably phallic geological formation. —Elena Saavedra Buckley, Harpers Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Greek phallikós "of or relating to a phallus," from phallós phallus + -ikos -ic entry 1

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for phallic

• alack
• gallic
• hallock
• malic
• malik
• salic
• sialic
• bimetallic
• nonmetallic
• brachycephalic
• intermetallic
• polymetallic

Medical Definition

phallic

adjective

phal·​lic ˈfal-ik 

1

: of, relating to, or resembling a penis

2

: of, relating to, or characterized by the stage of psychosexual development in psychoanalytic theory following the anal stage and during which a child becomes interested in his or her own sexual organs compare anal sense 2, genital sense 3, oral sense 3