Meanings
- not comparableRelating to, or characteristic of the penis.
The natural rhythm of the male is a phallic one of rise and fall, whether it involves towers, stock markets, or whole civilizations.
1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 1281 more example
A little later the phallic explanation of everything came into fashion. The deities were all polite names for the organs and powers of procreation.
1920, Edward Carpenter, Pagan and Christian Creeds, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., published 1921, page 10 - not comparableShaped like an erect human penis.
My mother has a very phallic salt shaker.
2 more examples
For many first-time visitors, a common initial impression of the Washington Monument is that it is incredibly phallic.
1993, Joseph Downton, Washington D.C.: An Alternative Guide, page T-221The incinerator and a big smoke stack / It's a phallic symbol and it makes me laugh
2005, Mother Mother, “Verbatim”Synonyms: phalliform
- not comparableRelating to or exhibiting masculine or patriarchal traits, seen metaphorically as seated in the male genitalia.
Opposing the war in El Salvador and opposing the phallic aggression everywhere.
1990 April 14, Jeremy Grainger, Read Weaver, “You Don't Gotta!”, in Gay Community News, page 8
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveShaped like an erect human penis.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekφαλλός (phallós)
- Latinphallu
- Englishphallus
- Englishphallic
Translations
Afrikaans falliese
- fallieseTranslations
Arabic قَضِيبِيّ
- قَضِيبِيّ (qaḍībiyy)Translations
Bulgarian фалически
- фалически (faličeski)Translations
Catalan fàl·lic
- fàl·licTranslations
Czech falický
- falickýTranslations
Danish fallisk
- falliskTranslations
Dutch fallisch
- fallischTranslations
Finnish fallinen, fallos-
- fallinenTranslations
- fallos-Translations
French phallique
- phalliqueTranslations
German phallisch
- phallischTranslations
Greek φαλλικό
- φαλλικό (fallikó)Translations
Hebrew פאלי, פאלית
- פאלי (fáli)Translations
- פאלית (fálit)Translations
Hungarian fallikus
- fallikusTranslations
Italian fallico
- fallicoTranslations
Japanese 陰茎の, 男根の
- 陰茎の (inkei no, inkyou no)Translations
- 男根の (dankon no)Translations
Korean 남근의
- 남근의 (namgeunui)Translations
Latin phallicus
- phallicusTranslations
Norwegian fallisk
- falliskTranslations
Polish falliczny
- fallicznyTranslations
Portuguese fálico
- fálicoTranslations
Romanian falic
- falicTranslations
Russian фалли́ческий
- фалли́ческий (fallíčeskij)Translations
Spanish fálico
- fálicoTranslations
Swedish fallisk
- falliskTranslations
Turkish fallik
- fallikTranslations
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with phallic
Cite this entry
phallic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phallic
“phallic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phallic. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phallic,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phallic.
Source: phallic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.