Definition

Noun: 1. A slang term for a sexually transmitted infection (STI): "Cupid's itch" is an informal, euphemistic term for a contagious disease spread primarily through sexual contact. It refers to the symptoms, such as itching or discomfort, associated with such infections. The term uses "Cupid," the Roman god of love, to indirectly reference the mode of transmission.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • After his trip, he was worried he might have contracted cupid's itch.
  • The clinic provides confidential testing for various conditions, including what some jokingly call cupid's itch.

Advanced Usage

• The term is highly informal and euphemistic. It is rarely used in medical, formal, or polite contexts. Its use often implies an attempt to discuss a sensitive topic with humor or indirectness.
• It can sometimes be used metaphorically to describe an intense but troublesome romantic infatuation, though this is less common.
  • He said his constant thoughts about her were like a case of cupid's itch—impossible to ignore and uncomfortable.

Variants and Related Words

• Cupid's disease (n): Another informal, synonymous term for a sexually transmitted infection.
• Venereal disease (VD) (n): A more clinical, though now somewhat dated, term for sexually transmitted infections.
• STI / STD (n): The standard modern abbreviations for "sexually transmitted infection" and "sexually transmitted disease," used in formal and medical contexts.

Synonyms

• Sexually transmitted infection (STI): The standard medical term.
• Social disease: An older, informal term.
• Venereal disease: A formal term that has been largely superseded by "STI."

Related Idioms or Phrases

• While not a phrasal verb, the term itself functions as a fixed, idiomatic euphemism. It is part of a pattern of using "Cupid's" to create informal terms for love-related troubles (e.g., "Cupid's arrow" for falling in love).

Noun

1. a communicable infection transmitted by sexual intercourse or genital contact