detumesce

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UK/diːtjuːˈmɛs/UK/diːtʃuːˈmɛs/

verb

To leave the erect, sexually aroused state.

Scrabble 14
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Meanings

verbdetumesce (third-person singular simple present detumesces, present participle detumescing, simple past and past participle detumesced)

present singular third person detumesces · participle present detumescing · participle past detumesced · past detumesced

  1. intransitiveTo leave the erect, sexually aroused state.
  2. intransitiveTo lose one's sexual arousal: to experience the detumescence of one's sexual organs.
  3. transitiveTo cause (a person) to detumesce: to induce detumescence.

Origin

From de- + tumesce.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

detumesce. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/detumesce

MLA

“detumesce.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/detumesce. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “detumesce,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/detumesce.

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