libido
noun
Did you know?
The Latin word libido, meaning "desire, lust", was borrowed by Sigmund Freud as the name for a concept in his own theories. At first he defined libido to mean the instinctual energy associated with the sex drive. Later he broadened the word's meaning and began using it to mean the mental energy behind purposeful human activity of any kind; in other words, the libido (for which Freud also used the term eros, a Greek word meaning "sexual love") came to be regarded as the life instinct, which included sex along with all the other impulses we rely on to keep us alive. But those of us who aren't psychologists use the word simply as a synonym for "sex drive".
Examples of libido in a Sentence
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2025
She’s also lost 6% of her body fat since starting TRT—and her libido improved.
—Angela Haupt, TIME, 19 Feb. 2025
Serotonin also rises—cue a happier state of mind, while a surge in testosterone boosts libido.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 11 Feb. 2025
Women with long COVID are more likely to have gastrointestinal issues and hair loss, while men are more susceptible to libido changes and depression.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 28 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Libido.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/libido. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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