Word
foreplay
Phoneticsfore·play
US/ˈfɔɹˌpɫeɪ/
UK/fˈɔːpleɪ/
Definition
n. sexual activity that happens before people have sex. It is meant to help both partners feel ready and excited.
n. sexual activity that precedes intercourse, intended to increase arousal and physical readiness. Often involves touching, kissing, or other forms of intimacy.
Examples
“They spent a long time on foreplay before having sex.”
“Health experts emphasize that foreplay is an essential part of a healthy and consensual sexual relationship.”
“The novel explores how emotional intimacy and extended foreplay can strengthen the bond between long-term partners, moving beyond purely physical descriptions of their encounters.”
Examples
simple
“They spent a long time on foreplay before having sex.”
contextual
“Health experts emphasize that foreplay is an essential part of a healthy and consensual sexual relationship.”
complex
“The novel explores how emotional intimacy and extended foreplay can strengthen the bond between long-term partners, moving beyond purely physical descriptions of their encounters.”
Usage
Typically used as an uncountable noun; occasionally used metaphorically to describe the lead-up to a major event.
Real-World Examples
“A black domestic comedy which adds some hilariously unerotic marital foreplay to the mix, it gives a sense of individual lives adrift in the social system.” Etymology
From fore- + play.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/foreplay