Definition

Adjective: 1. Characterized by or affected with excessive, uncontrollable sexual desire, specifically in a woman. This term describes a pathological or extreme condition of hypersexuality in women, as historically defined in some psychological or medical contexts.

Usage

• This is a clinical, dated, and often pejorative term. Its use in modern medical or psychological contexts is highly discouraged, as it is considered stigmatizing and based on outdated concepts of female sexuality.
• It is primarily used in historical, literary, or critical discussions about such terminology.
• Important Note: The term focuses specifically on women. The analogous, equally outdated term for men is "satyriasis" or "satyromania."

Examples

• The novel's villainess was portrayed with nymphomaniacal tendencies, a stereotype common in the literature of that era.
• Early 20th-century psychiatry sometimes incorrectly labeled sexually assertive women as nymphomaniacal.
• The film critic analyzed the nymphomaniacal archetype in mid-century cinema as a reflection of societal anxieties.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in a figurative or hyperbolic sense to describe an intense, non-sexual craving or obsession.
  • He had a nymphomaniacal appetite for power, constantly seeking more control.

Variants and Related Words

• Nymphomania (noun): The condition or behavior itself.
  • The concept of nymphomania has been largely discredited by modern sexology.
• Nymphomaniac (noun, adjective): A person (specifically a woman) characterized by nymphomania; having the qualities of nymphomania.
  • (Noun): The character was written as a classic nymphomaniac.
  • (Adjective): nymphomaniac behavior (Note: 'nymphomaniacal' is the more standard adjectival form).

Synonyms

• Hypersexual (clinical, gender-neutral)
• Satyriasis (specifically for men; also dated)
• Libidinous (less pathological, suggests strong sexual drive)
• Lascivious (suggests overt or lewd expression of desire)

Antonyms

• Frigid (dated and pejorative)
• Asexual
• Anaphrodisiac (inhibiting sexual desire)
• Inhibited

Important Note on Modern Context

Modern psychology and sexology typically use terms like "hypersexual behavior" or "compulsive sexual behavior disorder" (with specific diagnostic criteria) that are more precise, less gendered, and less stigmatizing than "nymphomaniacal." The term is considered a historical artifact of sexist diagnostic practices.

Adjective

1. (used of women) affected with excessive sexual desire