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Sexual attraction: What's the difference between romantic attraction and sexual attraction?

320 Answers
Last Updated: 01/20/2020 at 3:57pm
Sexual attraction: What's the difference between romantic attraction and sexual attraction?
★ This question about LGBTQ+ Issues was starred by a moderator on 5/12/2016.
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Top Rated Answers
Profile: Supporter0498
Supporter0498
December 31st, 2015 11:32pm
Romantic attraction is something that might last a life time, while sexual attraction might not. It just depends on your views!
Profile: TobyBara
TobyBara
January 28th, 2016 4:02am
The different between sexual and romantic attraction is arousal. Being sexuallyt attracted to someone implies that you feel aroused towards them. You would want to sleep with them or have a sexual relationship. Romantic attraction is the opposite, You may not see them in a sexual manor but you may love them and want to be with them, go on dates. Sexual attraction is more physical, romantic attraction is emotional.
Profile: mountainPass10
mountainPass10
January 28th, 2016 12:49am
Sexual attraction to put it simply is when you'd be interested in having sex with them. Romantic attraction is when you'd be interested in experiencing romantic interactions with them such as hold hands and/or kissing.
Profile: SecretlyHigh
SecretlyHigh
July 8th, 2015 5:34pm
Romantic attraction is when you know you love someone and you would like to sit down all the time with them talk to them and listen to them. You know you want to only spend your time including them. Sexual attraction is when you're just attracted to someone just for sex... Both can occur at the same time , but sexual attraction is usually the person is attracted to the pleasure and that's allxxxx
Anonymous
January 23rd, 2016 1:57pm
Sexual attraction and romantic attraction are both different depending on who you are. Typically sexual attraction is when you are attracted to a person sexually, meaning that you want to partake in sexual activities with them. Depending on who you are, a sexual activity may be having sex or it may be kissing. Romantic attraction is being attracted to somebody romantically, meaning you want to do romantic things with them (Once again, this varies from person to person, so you can make up your own definition of what "romantic things" are) Romantic things for some may be just going on dates to the movies or holding hands or cuddling. Sexual attraction and romantic attraction really vary from person to person so if you are in a relationship with a person who is ___romantic/sexual make sure you ask what they consider to be romantic/sexual so they are as comfortable as possible :)
Anonymous
January 21st, 2016 10:22pm
Romantic attraction is where you want to hug/kiss the person, sexual attraction is... well, wanting more than that.
Profile: musicalForest17
musicalForest17
January 21st, 2016 7:24pm
Romantic attraction is like having a crush, or really being infatuated by someone, or love. It's the feeling of wanting to date someone. Sexual attraction is the feeling of wanting to have sex with someone.
Anonymous
June 19th, 2015 3:03am
Romantic attraction is when you're attracted to them in every way, and just want to be near them. Sexual is when you crave sex with this person.
Profile: eleanor0610
eleanor0610
December 23rd, 2015 11:17pm
sexual attraction is more the feeling of finding someone physically attractive and wanting to complete acts of a sexual nature with someone. Romantic attraction is more the feeling of wanting to be with someone and make them happy. Of course the lines between the two can be blurred and you can feel both or just one of these types of attraction towards one or many people. There's no clear or right way for you to be attracted to someone.
Profile: Yourfairygodbro
Yourfairygodbro
January 3rd, 2016 9:41pm
Sexual attraction is when you want to have sex with someone, or touch them in a sexual way while romantic attraction is wanting to date and maybe marry a person.
Profile: listenerbarbie00
listenerbarbie00
January 3rd, 2016 3:42am
The difference between romantic and sexual attraction, most notably, is that sexual attraction strictly has to do with just sexual activities, while romantic attraction may include sex for some people, it deals with developing a relationship with a significant other.
Profile: arthurka
arthurka
January 2nd, 2016 10:48pm
Romantic attraction is the way you feel romantically for a person and sexual attraction is how you feel sexually for a person. For example, you can have a romantic relationship without any sexual attraction.
Profile: SaraMichelle
SaraMichelle
December 31st, 2015 8:56pm
I feel that romantic attraction is when you feel with your heart and you start thinking about the future with this person. While sexual attraction is when you only care about that persons body or your main goal is to get them into bed.
Profile: DragonEye
DragonEye
December 30th, 2015 7:24am
Love VS Lust. Whereas love is an intense feeling of deep affection, lust varies (being your sexual attraction) as being a very strong sexual desire. In one hand, love can have lust characteristics, but it deals with commitment and dedication to the person you feel this way towards. Sex can be involved, but you're equally happy with the person and with love you may never even need sex (depending, of course, on the person). Lust is different as you love the person for their body, and you'd only want to "get with them" per say. Hope this helps. :)
Profile: kindheartedKitty71
kindheartedKitty71
December 27th, 2015 8:58am
If you only imagen things like sleeping with that person and etc. then its sexual attraction. But if you imagen building a life and living with that person and not just having sex, then it’s romantic..
Profile: Herequeerandcheering
Herequeerandcheering
December 20th, 2015 2:32am
For romantic attraction you feel the want for a romantic relationship with a person. For sexual attraction you may have interest in doing sexual things with that person. They don't necessarily happen at the same time to some. Some feel only romantic attraction, some feel only sexual attraction, some feel neither, some feel both
Profile: fairmindedMap1086
fairmindedMap1086
December 4th, 2015 6:34pm
Both are just the worse. getting attracted proposing, proceeding and then all ends up in beak up. A real relationship is supposed to happen automatically. Of course there are exceptions. I see there is no difference between them both but on the other end i think an unconditional attraction would be the ideal one.
Profile: BethanyRuth
BethanyRuth
December 11th, 2015 11:17pm
The most simplistic way to explain it is that sexual attraction is just that: a natural desire to have sex with a specific person, it can be an immediate desire upon seeing them or a more gradual one that develops over time, but in the end the base desire is for sex with that person. Romantic attraction is a desire for whatever you perceive is a romantic relationship with a specific person, can also be immediate or more gradual.
Anonymous
December 12th, 2015 12:49am
Romantic attraction is being attracted to the way someone acts, the way they talk to you or how safe you feel with them. Sexual attraction encompasses that but is to the persons body instead of their actions
Anonymous
December 12th, 2015 11:23pm
Romantic: wants to date them, kiss them, cuddle with them, hang out with them, etc, Sexual: wants to have sex with them and that's all
Profile: oliverjayy
oliverjayy
December 16th, 2015 1:48am
Sexual attraction is only wanting anything physical and sexual. Romantic attraction, in my personal opinion, is something more than just the physical and sexual aspects. Of course, it includes the sexual attractions, but also involves the little things, like just being able to spend time together, without saying anything, and just being in each other's presence. Romantic attraction is a very special thing, and it's important to hold onto something like that if you can find it :)
Profile: ashbradbury42
ashbradbury42
December 17th, 2015 11:15pm
Romantic attraction is when you are purely attracted to someone on an emotional level. Sexual attraction involves the physical side of a relationship.
Profile: birdwatcher444
birdwatcher444
December 18th, 2015 12:42am
Romantic attraction is the desire to just be with someone. It is the love of the other person's personality and feeling content with that person. Sexual attraction is the desire to have sexual relations with someone else. Often times sexual attraction goes hand in hand with romantic attraction. However, some people don't feel sexual attraction at all. That is called asexual, but it doesn't mean they don't want a romantic relationship.
Profile: miamaiamaya
miamaiamaya
December 18th, 2015 11:33am
Sexual attraction is "attraction on the basis of sexual desire or the quality of arousing such interest." Romantic attraction is 'an emotional response that most people often feel that results in a desire for a romantic relationship with the person that the attraction is felt towards." Sexual attraction is the sexual desire for someone, whereas romantic attraction is the desire to be in a relationship with someone.
Profile: SockMonkey25
SockMonkey25
December 19th, 2015 6:10pm
Sexual attraction is fueled by physical desires. It can have romantic attraction involved, but not necessarily. Romantic attraction is more personal, not physically or chemically driven.
Anonymous
December 25th, 2015 6:16am
Sexual attraction is when you merely have an attraction to someones appearance. Romantic is when have feelings for someone. For a relationship you need a balance of both.
Profile: wolfen22
wolfen22
December 24th, 2015 8:12pm
Romantic attraction is an emotional response. It often results in the desire to form a relationship with the person of interest, but not always. Often times, we see it described in fiction as "being drawn to" or "feeling a pull toward" someone. Sexual attraction is an involuntary impulse to have physical contact with another person. For some people it develops over time while for others it can be an instant response. The one factor that never changes is the desire to have physical contact with the person of interest. It's important to note that sexual and romantic attraction can exist separately or simultaneously.
Anonymous
December 25th, 2015 1:11am
Good question! Romantic attraction is extremely hard to distinguish between sexual attraction–mostly because it's easy to feel both of these for the same person. Generally, you can find little differences in the types of attractions–like how a romantic attraction may make you feel warm and gooey in one place, and a sexual attraction makes you feel warm and gooey in, well, another place. It honestly depends on the person though! It may be even harder to distinguish between which is which for the person sitting next to you!
Profile: Miranda1999
Miranda1999
December 24th, 2015 12:08am
Romantic attraction is more emotional whereas sexual attraction is about the physical side of maybe wanting to kiss the person or have sex with them. The emotional romantic attraction could be you want to be there for them, go out and spent time with them or even just talk to them and just like being with them or talking to them.
Anonymous
December 25th, 2015 12:41pm
Long story short, sexual attraction is when you feel attracted to someones outdside, their body but not their soul, like when you think someone is "hot" by only looking but never really meet that person. Romantic attraction is when you are actually in love someone, not just for the persons body but for who she is.