'anti-orgasmic' originates from the Greek prefix 'anti-' meaning 'against' combined with 'orgasmic' (from 'orgasm'), where 'orgasm' ultimately comes from Greek 'orgasmos' meaning 'excitement' or 'to swell with passion'.

'orgasm' is derived from Greek 'orgasmos' and entered English via Latin/medical and scientific usage; the modern compound 'anti-orgasmic' is a recent formation using the productive English prefix 'anti-' plus the adjective 'orgasmic' to denote opposition to orgasm.

Initially the components literally meant 'against orgasm'; over time the compound has come to be used in medical, pharmacological, and sexual-health contexts to describe drugs, conditions, or stimuli that inhibit or prevent orgasm.