anaphrodisiac
- adjective
- /ˌænəˌfroʊdɪˈzɪæk/
- Specialized
- Some herbal remedies are said to act as an anaphrodisiac, helping to lower libido.
Examples
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They say that scary movies are anaphrodisiac.
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Many believe that certain medications can have an anaphrodisiac effect, reducing feelings of sexual desire.
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He found that his new diet was surprisingly anaphrodisiac, leaving him disinterested in intimacy.
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
anaphrodisiac = aphrodisiac (transparent) = an + aphrodisiac
The adjective is formed by adding the negative prefix 'an-' to 'aphrodisiac', yielding the straightforward meaning 'not stimulating sexual desire' or 'reducing sexual desire'.
Etymology
The word anaphrodisiac comes from the Greek parts an- meaning 'not' and Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Because an aphrodisiac raises sexual desire, an anaphrodisiac is something that does the opposite and reduces sexual interest.