aphrodisiac

aph·ro·di·si·ac
A1P3H4R1O1D2I1S1I1A1C3
/æf.ɹoʊˈdi.zi.æk//æf.ɹoʊˈdɪ.zi.æk/

adjective

Arousing or intensifying sexual desire.

Less commonScrabble 19

Meanings

adjectiveaphrodisiac (not comparable)
  1. not comparableArousing or intensifying sexual desire.

    Cognac, with the addition of a little paprika and the yolk of an egg, is considered an effective aphrodisiac aid.

    1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 156
    1 more example

    Throughout recorded history, people have searched for the perfect herb, drug, or food to increase sexual desire, arousal, and performance. In their quest, they've amassed an exhaustive list of substances that purportedly have aphrodisiac properties.

    2003, Hilda Hutcherson, “Sexual Enhancers”, in What Your Mother Never Told You about Sex, Perigee, →ISBN, pages 169–170
nounaphrodisiac (plural aphrodisiacs)

plural aphrodisiacs

  1. Something, generally a food or drug, having such an effect.

    Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

    c. 1970, Henry Kissinger, quoted in The New York Times (28 October 1973)
    1 more example

    This brother told me a secret on how to get more chicks / Put a little Medina in your glass, and the girls'll come real quick / It's better than any alcohol or aphrodisiac

    1989, “Funky Cold Medina”, in Lōc’ed After Dark, performed by Tone Lōc

    Antonyms: anaphrodisiac, antaphrodisiac, antiaphrodisiac, anti-Viagra, boner-killer, lust-quencher, passion killer, passion-queller

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSomething, generally a food or drug, having such an effect.

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivestimulating sexual desire

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἀφροδισιακός“venereal”
  2. Englishaphrodisiac

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀφροδισιακός (aphrodisiakós, “venereal”), from Ἀφροδίσιος (Aphrodísios, “pertaining to Aphrodite”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan afrodisíac, afrodisíac
  • afrodisíacintensifying sexual desire
  • afrodisíacfood or drug
Chinese Mandarin 春藥 /春药, 媚藥 /媚药
  • 春藥 /春药 (chūnyào)food or drug
  • 媚藥 /媚药 (mèiyào)food or drug
  • 壯陽藥 /壮阳药 (zhuàngyángyào)food or drug
Czech afrodiziakum
  • afrodiziakumfood or drug
Danish afrodisiakum, afrodisiakum
  • afrodisiakumintensifying sexual desire
  • afrodisiakumfood or drug
Dutch afrodisiacum
  • afrodisiacumfood or drug
Esperanto amorveka
  • amorvekaintensifying sexual desire
Finnish lempeä nostattava, lemmenruoka
  • lempeä nostattavaintensifying sexual desire
  • lemmenruokafood or drug
  • lemmenjuomafood or drug
  • lemmenrohtofood or drug
  • lemmenlääkefood or drug
  • afrodisiakafood or drug
  • afrodisiakkifood or drug
French aphrodisiaque, aphrodisiaque
  • aphrodisiaqueintensifying sexual desire
  • aphrodisiaquefood or drug
German aphrodisisch, Aphrodisiakum
  • aphrodisischintensifying sexual desire
  • Aphrodisiakumfood or drug
Greek αφροδισιακός, αφροδισιακό
  • αφροδισιακός (afrodisiakós)intensifying sexual desire
  • αφροδισιακό (afrodisiakó)food or drug
Icelandic lostavekjandi, kynorkuaukandi
  • lostavekjandiintensifying sexual desire
  • kynorkuaukandiintensifying sexual desire
  • lostaörvandiintensifying sexual desire
  • ástalyffood or drug
  • frygðarlyffood or drug
  • kynorkulyffood or drug
  • frygðaraukifood or drug
Indonesian afrodisiak
  • afrodisiakfood or drug
Italian afrodisiaco, afrodisiaco
  • afrodisiacointensifying sexual desire
  • afrodisiacofood or drug
Japanese 催淫の, 催淫性の)
  • 催淫の (sai'in-no)intensifying sexual desire
  • 催淫性の) (sai'insei-no)intensifying sexual desire
  • 媚薬 (biyaku)food or drug
  • 催淫剤 (sai'inzai)food or drug
Korean 춘약, 미약
  • 춘약 (chunyak)food or drug
  • 미약 (miyak)food or drug
  • 음약 (eumyak)food or drug
  • 최음제 (choeeumje)food or drug
  • 강정제 (gangjeongje)food or drug
Polish afrodyzjak
  • afrodyzjakfood or drug
Portuguese afrodisíaco, afrodisíaco
  • afrodisíacointensifying sexual desire
  • afrodisíacofood or drug
Romanian afrodisiac, afrodiziac
  • afrodisiacintensifying sexual desire
  • afrodiziacfood or drug
Russian афродизиак, афродизиа́к
  • афродизиак (afrodiziak)intensifying sexual desire
  • афродизиа́к (afrodiziák)food or drug
Spanish afrodisíaco, afrodisiaco
  • afrodisíacointensifying sexual desire
  • afrodisiacointensifying sexual desire
  • afrodisíacofood or drug
  • afrodisiacofood or drug
Swahili mkuyati
  • mkuyatifood or drug
Swedish afrodisiakum
  • afrodisiakumfood or drug
Turkish afrodizyak, afrodizyak
  • afrodizyakintensifying sexual desire
  • afrodizyakfood or drug
Ukrainian афродизіа́к
  • афродизіа́к (afrodyziák)food or drug
Cite this entry
APA

aphrodisiac. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aphrodisiac

MLA

“aphrodisiac.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aphrodisiac. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “aphrodisiac,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aphrodisiac.

Source: aphrodisiac on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.