sex object

American

noun

a person viewed as being of little interest or merit beyond the potential for providing sexual gratification.

sex object British

noun

a person viewed or treated as a means of obtaining sexual gratification

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sex object

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

sex object

Neither love interest nor sex object, she survives the entire story without once relying on her looks to seduce an unwitting villain.

From Time ● Mar. 24, 2016

When a woman appeared in a progressive song, she was a presence, not a sex object.

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2012

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023