nymphomania
|nym-pho-ma-ni-a|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɪmfəˈmeɪniə/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɪmfəˈmeɪnɪə/
excessive sexual desire (in women)
Etymology
'nymphomania' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'νυμφομανία' (nymphomanía), where 'νύμφη' meant 'bride, young woman' and 'μανία' meant 'madness' or 'frenzy'.
'nymphomania' entered modern European medical vocabulary via Modern Latin and French (French 'nymphomanie') in the 18th–19th centuries and was adopted into English as 'nymphomania'.
Initially, it meant 'madness or frenzy associated with young women', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'excessive sexual desire' (particularly applied to women); in recent decades the term has become regarded as outdated and stigmatizing, with clinical language shifting toward 'hypersexuality'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
excessive or uncontrollable sexual desire in a woman; historically used in medical contexts to describe a pathological level of sexual drive in women.
In the 19th century, doctors sometimes diagnosed women with nymphomania for behavior they considered sexually excessive.
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Noun 2
(Historical/pejorative) a diagnosis or label formerly applied to women whose sexual behavior or desires deviated from social norms; now considered outdated and stigmatizing.
The term 'nymphomania' is now often criticized as a sexist and imprecise label.
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Last updated: 2025/12/06 06:25