1.
lust; sexual desire; sensuality
Sexual passion or carnal desire, often carrying a literary or somewhat clinical tone.
色情に溺れる。
To drown in lust.
その小説は色情をテーマにしている。
That novel has sensuality as its theme.
仏教では色情は煩悩の一つとされ、悟りの妨げになると教えられる。
In Buddhism, lust is considered one of the worldly desires and is taught to be an obstacle to enlightenment.
Composed of 色 (sensual desire; color) + 情 (emotion; passion). The kanji 色 has long carried sexual connotations in Japanese, as in 色恋 (love affair) and 好色 (lustful). 色情 is a literary or formal word; everyday speech uses 性欲 instead.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 色情に溺れる: to be consumed by lust
- 色情狂: sexual mania; nymphomania
- 色情的: sensual; erotic
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 性欲: sexual desire — the standard modern term; more neutral and direct than the literary 色情
- 情欲: passion; carnal desire — similar register to 色情, also somewhat literary
- 好色: lustfulness; lechery — describes the tendency or character of being lustful, rather than the desire itself