libido

American  

[li-bee-doh] / lɪˈbi doʊ /

noun

plural

libidos

1. Psychoanalysis. all of the instinctual energies and desires that are derived from the id.

2. sexual instinct or sexual drive.

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libido British  

/ lɪˈbɪdɪnəl, lɪˈbiːdəʊ /

noun

1. psychoanal psychic energy emanating from the id

2. sexual urge or desire

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libido Cultural  

1. In Freudian psychology, the energy associated with the desires that come from the id.

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Discover More

Libido is loosely used to mean sexual desire.

Other Word Forms

• libidinal adjective
• libidinally adverb

Etymology

Origin of libido

First recorded in 1890–95; from Latin libīdō “desire, willfulness, lust,” akin to libēre “to be pleasing”

Explanation

Libido is a person's sexual desire. Once a year? Once a week? Once a day? There is no correct answer, because everyone's libido is different. However, you hope your partner's is similar to yours! Libido has only been a word for about 100 years, though the urge to have sex has been around, well, as long as we have. It is Latin for “desire, lust.” You may have heard that the libido changes over the course of a person's life, and that you can even "lose" it if you are, for example, depressed or taking certain medications. People often think famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud coined the term. It isn't true, though he did popularize it in his writings on sexual urges.

Example Sentences

The oral version of minoxidil can cause unwanted hair growth on the face and other areas of the body, while finasteride can dampen libido and lead to erectile dysfunction.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

NHS advice states that this is a normal part of ageing and is unlikely to affect libido.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

In reinventing the groundwater argument for the birth control pill, Heritage does highlight risks to women, including lowered libido, mood swings, infertility, heart attack, and stroke.

From Slate • Nov. 11, 2025

Heavy bleeding, hair loss, weight gain, painful sex and low libido are some of the most common symptoms that people don’t like to talk about.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2025

Well, every object and tendency of the libido that has been abandoned, is not abandoned in every sense of the word.

From A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis by Freud, Sigmund

Related Words

• lust
• sexual desire
• sexuality