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.

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