Lust: A Dictionary for the Insatiable
Page 2
D
dalliance
(DAL-ee-uhns)
NOUN: A brief flirtation or romantic affair that is not meant to be serious; dilly-dallying.
debauchery
(dih-BAW-chuh-ree)
NOUN: Excessively self-indulgent behavior, particularly those related to sexual pleasure; depravity.
deflower
(dih-FLOW-er)
VERB: To take one’s virginity.
delight
(dih-LYT)
VERB: To take pleasure in something or to provide pleasure.
Delilah
(dih-LY-luh)
NOUN: A temptress; the word is Biblical in its origin, from the name of Samson’s mistress, who took away his strength by cutting off his hair.
demimonde
(DEM-ee-mond)
NOUN: Originally used in reference to a prostitute or courtesan, this French word describes a class of people—especially women—with loose morals, particularly in regards to their sexual morals.
depravity
(dih-PRAV-ih-tee)
NOUN: Wickedness; moral corruption.
In the United States, prostitution is equated with moral DEPRAVITY and does not take into account the circumstances by which women are led to choose such a lifestyle.
desiderate
(dih-SID-uh-rayt)
VERB: To think about or express a longing for something.
desideratum
(dih-sid-uh-RAY-tuhm)
NOUN: Something that is desired or needed.
desire
(dih-ZY-uhr)
NOUN: A longing or craving for something, and can specifically relate a longing for a sexual relationship with someone; sexual appetite.
desirous
(dih-ZY-uhr-uhs)
ADJECTIVE: Having desire for something.
deviant
(DEE-vee-uhnt)
NOUN: One whose behavior, particularly his or her sexual behavior, differs from what is considered normal or acceptable.
Dionysian
(dy-uh-NISH-uhn)
ADJECTIVE: Referencing Dionysius, the Greek god of revelry, Dionysian describes uninhibited or hedonistic behavior typically involving alcohol and promiscuity.
For a study on human sexuality and relationships, researchers headed to a local college campus to observe DIONYSIAN behavior first hand.
dirty
(DUR-tee)
ADJECTIVE: Obscene or foul; something that is covered in dirt or filth; dishonest; unpleasant.
dirty-minded
(DUR-tee-myn-did)
ADJECTIVE: Having a mind full of vulgar thoughts.
dirty talk
(DUR-tee tawk)
NOUN: Erotic discussion that takes place during, as a prelude to, or in place of a sexual encounter.
discreet
(dih-SKREET)
ADJECTIVE: Showing tact in one’s behavior; circumspect.
dishabille
(dis-uh-BEEL)
NOUN: From the French word meaning “to undress,” dishabille refers to someone in a state of partial undress or whose appearance is very casual or careless.
I lost the love of heaven above,
I spurned the lust of earth below,
I felt the sweets of fancied love,
And hell itself my only
foe.
—JOHN CLARE
dissolute
(DIS-uh-loot)
ADJECTIVE: Showing a lack of moral restraint when it comes to engaging in physical pleasures; debauched.
divest
(dih-VEST)
VERB: To take something away from someone; to remove something, including clothing.
divulge
(dih-VUHLJ)
VERB: To reveal information that was meant to be confidential; reveal.
dolce vita
(DAWL-che VEE-tah)
NOUN: Known as the “sweet life,” it’s a life full of self-indulgence and hedonistic pleasures.
dominatrix
(dom-uh-NAY-triks)
NOUN: A female who dominates a sadomasochistic relationship; the word can be used more broadly in reference to a woman who dominates a situation or relationship.
Don Juan
(don WAHN)
NOUN: A man who engages in a series of meaningless flings with a series of women.
Exuding swagger and confidence, the young DON JUAN entered the bar alone but was determined to leave with one or more ladies on his arm.
dote
(doht)
VERB: Usually followed by “on” or “upon,” to dote is to be extremely fond of a person or thing.
doxy
(DOK-see)
NOUN: The female in a sexual relationship; a promiscuous woman or prostitute.
E
eager
(EE-ger)
ADJECTIVE: Enthusiastic and looking forward to a thing or activity; excited.
easy
(EE-zee)
ADJECTIVE: Not difficult; easy is also used to describe a person with loose sexual morals.
Just because she was dressed provocatively for the occasion, Emma did not feel she deserved to be labeled as free and EASY.
ebullition
(eb-uh-LISH-uhn)
NOUN: A sudden and powerful outburst of emotion; the act of bubbling up or boiling over, as in a liquid.
ecstatic
(ek-STAT-ik)
ADJECTIVE: Feeling great delight; blissful.
effusion
(ih-FYOO-zhuhn)
NOUN: An emotional outpouring of speech or writing.
emotion
(ih-MOH-shuhn)
NOUN: A feeling, including happiness, sadness, love, or hate.
enamor
(ih-NAM-er)
VERB: To captivate.
enchant
(en-CHANT)
VERB: To fascinate, captivate, or bewitch.
endear
(en-DEER)
VERB: To make a person or thing liked.
engross
(en-GROHS)
VERB: To consume one’s attention; captivate.
enrapture
(en-RAP-cher)
VERB: To captivate or beguile.
enthrall
(en-THRAWL)
VERB: To thoroughly delight or captivate someone; rivet.
entice
(en-TYS)
VERB: To tempt or lure with something desirable.
entrance
(en-TRAHNS)
VERB: To captivate someone and hold his or her attention; enrapture.
entrap
(en-TRAP)
VERB: To tempt someone to do something wrong or immoral.
erogenous
(ih-ROJ-uh-nuhs)
ADJECTIVE: Something, like an area of the body, that is especially susceptible to sexual arousal.
Love wants to enjoy in other ways the human being whom it has enjoyed in bed; it looks forward to having breakfast. But in the morning Lust is always furtive. It dresses as mechanically as it undressed and heads straight for the door, to return to its own solitude.
—HENRY FAIRLIE
eros
(EER-os)
NOUN: Derived from Eros, the Greek god of love, eros refers to sexual love or libido.
erotic
(ih-ROT-ik)
ADJECTIVE: Possessing the ability to arouse sexual desire in someone.
eroticize
(ih-ROT-uh-syz)
VERB: To sexualize something.
erotism
(AYR-uh-tiz-uhm)
NOUN: An erotic quality; feelings of sexual arousal; also known as eroticism.
One of the oldest and most notable books on sex and EROTICISM is the Kama Sutra, which was probably written in the first century.
euphoria
(yoo-FAWR-ee-uh)
NOUN: A state of extreme happiness or well-being; ecstasy.
exhibitionism
(ek-suh-BISH-uh-niz-uhm)
NOUN: The desire to
attract attention from loud, aggressive behavior; a psychological compulsion to expose oneself in public.
explicit
(ik-SPLIS-it)
ADJECTIVE: Extremely detailed so as to leave no room for interpretation; sexually graphic.
F
fancy
(FAN-see)
VERB: To be attracted to someone in a romantic or sexual way; to believe in—but not be 100 percent certain of—something; to imagine.
fantasize
(FAN-tuh-syz)
VERB: To concoct romantic or extravagant notions in one’s head; daydream.
fascination
(fas-uh-NAY-shuhn)
NOUN: To be completely mesmerized by a person or thing; captivation.
femme fatale
(fem fuh-TAL)
NOUN: A devious woman who uses her attractiveness and sex appeal to lure men into doing her dirty work, which often includes murder. The stereotype was made famous in the movies in the 1940s.
fervor
(FUR-ver)
NOUN: Extreme passion or dedication; ardor.
fetish
(FET-ish)
NOUN: A thing—usually something other than an erogenous body part—that is worshipped in a sexual fashion; any object, activity, or idea with which one develops a fixation.
fidelity
(fi-DEL-ih-tee)
NOUN: Faithfulness or loyalty; accuracy.
filthiness
(FIL-thee)
ADJECTIVE: Extremely dirty or foul; vulgar or obscene.
Many people are turned off by sadomasochism as a sexual practice and see it as the epitome of FILTHINESS and immorality.
fixate
(FIK-sayt)
VERB: To become completely consumed or obsessed by something.
flagitious
(fluh-JISH-uhs)
ADJECTIVE: Shamefully scandalous; disgraceful.
flagrant
(FLAY-gruhnt)
ADJECTIVE: Glaringly obvious; scandalous.
Stella’s FLAGRANT flaunting of her womanly assets put a bad taste in the mouths of the other members of the committee.
flame
(flaym)
NOUN: A person for whom one carries a torch; an object of desire; extreme passion; burning gas or vapor.
flaunt
(flawnt)
VERB: To accentuate one’s positive attributes, be it a shapely body or great wealth.
fleshly
(FLESH-lee)
ADJECTIVE: Relating to the flesh or human body; sensual.
fling
(fling)
NOUN: A short-lived sexual dalliance.
flirtation
(flur-TAY-shuhn)
NOUN: Behaving in a coquettish or playfully seductive way; a brief but not serious romantic dalliance.
fondle
(FON-dl)
VERB: To stroke or touch someone in an affectionate manner; caress.
fondness
(FOND-nis)
NOUN: Affection or liking.
foreplay
(FAWR-play)
NOUN: A period of sexual stimulation leading up to sexual intercourse.
fornication
(fawr-ni-KAY-shuhn)
NOUN: Consensual sex between two people; as referenced in the Bible, it is used in a negative fashion to connote an immoral sexual relationship between two unmarried persons.
fornicatress
(fawr-ni-KAY-tress)
NOUN: A woman engaged in adultery.
forwardness
(FAWR-werd-nis)
NOUN: Behavior that is bold or presumptuous in relation to normal levels of modesty.
foul
(fowl)
ADJECTIVE: Impure or obscene; dirty; offending the senses.
foxy
(FOK-see)
ADJECTIVE: Attractive; sexy.
freaky
(FREE-kee)
ADJECTIVE: Unconventional or strange; deviant.
free-living
(FREE-LIV-ing)
ADJECTIVE: Living life in a way where one feels free to follow his or her desires without guilt or moral reprobation.
But virtue, as it never
will be moved,
Though lewdness court it in a shape of heaven,
So lust, though to a radiant angel linked,
Will sate itself in a celestial bed
And prey on garbage
—WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
frenzy
(FREN-zee)
NOUN: A state of wild excitement, anger, or other emotion.
In a FRENZY of passion and excitement, the two lovers ripped each others clothes off and raced to the bedroom.
frottage
(fraw-TAHZH)
NOUN: The act of rubbing against an object or person—often a stranger in a crowd—in order to attain sexual satisfaction; also called frotteurism.
G
gallant
(GAL-uhnt)
ADJECTIVE: Respectful, especially toward women; chivalrous.
genital
(JEN-ih-ti)
ADJECTIVE: Pertaining to one’s sexual organs; relating to reproduction.
gigolo
(JIG-uh-loh)
NOUN: A male escort or prostitute.
goatish
(GOH-tish)
ADJECTIVE: Lustful; lewd.
graphic
(GRAF-ik)
ADJECTIVE: Explicit; extremely suggestive.
Due to the GRAPHIC sexual scenes in the movie, the audience was advised to watch at their own discretion.
I can imagine myself on my death-bed, spent utterly with lust to touch the next world, like a boy asking for his first kiss from a woman.
—ALEISTER CROWLEY
gratification
(grat-uh-fi-KAY-shuhn)
NOUN: Satisfaction; a thing or action that gives one satisfaction.
gratuitous
(gruh-TOO-ih-tuhs)
ADJECTIVE: Uncalled for; lacking good reason.
gravitate
(GRAV-ih-tayt)
VERB: To have a natural inclination or attraction to a thing or person.
gynecomania
(gy-ni-KO-may-nee-uh)
NOUN: An overpowering enthusiasm for women.
H
hanker
(hang-ker)
VERB: To crave or want something desperately; yearn.
hanky-panky
(HANG-kee-PANG-kee)
NOUN: Sexual activity; fooling around.
As Jake opened the door to the conference room he was shocked to see two of his coworkers engaging in HANKY-PANKY.
hardcore
(HAHRD-KAWR)
ADJECTIVE: Depicting sex or sexual situations in a graphic manner; extremely dedicated.
harlot
(HAHR-luht)
NOUN: A prostitute or promiscuous woman.
heartbreaker
(HAHRT-bray-ker)
NOUN: A person with whom many people fall in love but who often hurts those people in the end.
hedonist
(HEED-n-ist)
NOUN: One whose entire life is dedicated to the pursuit or pleasure.
hentai
(hen-tay)
NOUN: A sexually explicit graphic novel or comic.
horny
(HAWR-nee)
ADJECTIVE: Sexually aroused or lustful; having horns.