1.
lust; sexual desire; carnal desire
Strong sexual or carnal desire for another person, often viewed as something that overrides reason or moral judgement. The word carries a literary, sometimes religious, tone and is rarely used in casual conversation. It often appears in novels, essays, religious texts (especially Buddhist writings), and serious journalism about scandals or human nature.
愛欲に溺れる。
To drown in lust.
愛欲に身を任せてしまった。
He gave himself over to carnal desire.
仏教では、愛欲を苦しみの原因の一つと考えている。
In Buddhism, lust is considered one of the causes of suffering.
Compound of 愛 ('love') and 欲 ('desire; appetite'). Refers specifically to sexual or carnal desire, not to romantic love in general. The word has a literary, somewhat heavy register and is associated with novels, religious discourse, and serious commentary rather than everyday speech.
USAGE:
- Frequently used as the object of verbs that imply being controlled or overcome: 溺れる ('to drown in'), 捕らわれる ('to be captured by'), 満たす ('to satisfy').
- Common in Buddhist contexts, where it is grouped with 煩悩 ('worldly passions') as something to be overcome.
- Rarely used as a positive word; the connotation is almost always negative or warning.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 愛欲に溺れる: to drown in lust
- 愛欲に捕らわれる: to be captured by carnal desire
- 愛欲を満たす: to satisfy one's lust
- 愛欲生活: a life of carnal desire
- 愛欲の果て: the end (consequence) of lust
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 性欲: sexual desire — more clinical and direct; the standard physiological term, used in medicine and psychology.
- 情欲: carnal passion — close in meaning, perhaps slightly more focused on impulsive emotion.
- 色欲: lust; lechery — emphasizes lewdness; a more pejorative word.
- 恋愛: romantic love — neutral term for the broader experience of being in love, not focused on physical desire.
- 欲望: desire; craving — the general word for any kind of strong desire (for power, money, fame, etc.).