erotic

adjective

erot·​ic i-ˈrä-tik How to pronounce erotic (audio)
variants or less commonly erotical
i-ˈrä-ti-kəl How to pronounce erotic (audio)
Synonyms of eroticnext
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 How to pronounce erotic (audio)
adverb

Synonyms of erotic

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Examples of erotic in a Sentence

the erotic aspects of the story of Beauty and the Beast
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sullivan’s Anne first aired on PBS the very same night, for instance, that the erotic multicultural dance fable Flashdance was first shown on network TV. — Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026 Among them is Sirocco, an erotic thriller written by two-time Emmy winner Gideon Raff. — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026 This display of light bondage proved merely an amuse-bouche to the erotic banquet that Fennell had prepared. — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026 Lyne recently spoke about the 1987 erotic thriller at a screening of his other classic, Unfaithful. — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for erotic

Word History

Etymology

Greek erōtikos, from erōt-, erōs

First Known Use

1621, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of erotic was in 1621

Phrases Containing erotic

Rhymes for erotic

See All Rhymes for erotic

Browse Nearby Words

erotes
erotic
erotica
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Cite this Entry

“Erotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/erotic. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

erotic

adjective
erot·​ic i-ˈrät-ik How to pronounce erotic (audio)
: of, relating to, or marked by sexual love or desire
erotically
-ˈrät-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce erotic (audio)
adverb
eroticism
-ˈrät-ə-ˌsiz-əm
noun

Medical Definition

erotic

adjective
erot·​ic i-ˈrät-ik How to pronounce erotic (audio)
variants also erotical
i-ˈrät-i-kəl How to pronounce erotic (audio)
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 How to pronounce erotic (audio)
adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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