Word
lolita
Phoneticsloli·ta
/ɫoʊˈɫitə/
Definition
n. a young girl who is considered sexually attractive, especially to older men.
n. a young girl who is perceived as sexually precocious or alluring to adult men; often used with a critical or cautionary tone regarding the male gaze.
Examples
“The media often unfairly labels young actresses as a lolita.”
“The fashion shoot was criticised for its lolita aesthetic, which many felt was inappropriate for a teenage model.”
“Cultural critics argue that the lolita archetype in cinema often serves to shift the blame from the predatory adult onto the child by emphasizing her supposed precocity.”
Examples
simple
“The media often unfairly labels young actresses as a lolita.”
contextual
“The fashion shoot was criticised for its lolita aesthetic, which many felt was inappropriate for a teenage model.”
complex
“Cultural critics argue that the lolita archetype in cinema often serves to shift the blame from the predatory adult onto the child by emphasizing her supposed precocity.”
Usage
Often used as a common noun, though derived from a proper name.
Teaching tip
This term is highly sensitive and can be offensive or suggestive; students should be aware of its origins in Nabokov's literature before using it.
Real-World Examples
“Simply uttered on its own, the word Lolita conjures up a certain collective image: an "underage" girl who is aware of – and deliberately overt with – her own sexual attractiveness, developed beyond her years.” “A boom in “Lolita” sites on Instagram, Facebook and other platforms is allowing paedophiles to target teenage girls without fear of arrest, an investigation by The Sunday Telegraph has found.” “The style is often misunderstood due to its title. While Lolita style *is* named after Vladimir Nabokov’s eponymous teen in the controversial 1955 novel, the overlap ends there.” Etymology
The name is from Spanish Lolita, diminutive of Lola, from the given name Dolores. The noun derives from the name: see the etymology at lolita for details.
Transliteration of Bengali ললিতা (lolita).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
The word in film
Poster: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Lolita · 1962 · Drama
- Directed by:
- Stanley Kubrick
- Starring:
- James Mason, Shelley Winters, Peter Sellers, Sue Lyon
Stanley Kubrick directs this darkly satirical drama adapted from Vladimir Nabokov's provocative novel about a literature professor who becomes obsessed with his teenage stepdaughter. The title solidified the titular character's name in the English lexicon as a cultural eponym describing a precociously seductive young girl.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/lolita