aphrodisiomania
|a-phro-di-si-o-ma-ni-a|
/ˌæfrəˌdɪziəˈmeɪniə/
pathological sexual obsession
Etymology
'aphrodisiomania' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'Aphrodite' and 'mania', where 'Aphrodite' refers to the Greek goddess of love and 'mania' meant 'madness' or 'frenzy'.
'aphrodisiomania' entered English via New Latin/medical terminology in the 19th century as a compound of 'aphrodisio-' (from Greek 'Aphrodite'/'aphrodisios' meaning 'pertaining to sexual love') and '-mania' (Greek 'mania' meaning 'madness'), and it eventually became the modern English medical/psychological term 'aphrodisiomania'.
Initially it denoted a kind of 'madness' or excessive passion related to sexual love (linked to Aphrodite), but over time it evolved into the clinical sense of an abnormal or pathological sexual obsession or excessive sexual drive.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an obsessive or pathological preoccupation with sexual desire or sexual activity; excessive sexual drive regarded as a mental disorder.
He was described in the case notes as suffering from aphrodisiomania, which affected his relationships and daily life.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/17 03:36