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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: CarcinoArison16
CarcinoArison16
July 12th, 2015 1:54am
sexual attraction means more or less seeing a person and wanting to have sex with them romantic attraction however is seeing a person and just wanting to be in a romantic relationship with them
Profile: tranquilTouch46
tranquilTouch46
July 12th, 2015 9:01am
When your body signals a liking to someone, irrespective of whether or not you're in a relationship is a Sexual Attraction. Sometimes a sexual attraction could lead to a romantic/emotional connection but not necessarily. Sexual attraction is purely lust, infatuation and carnal. As opposed to romantic attraction, it's more about intimacy. Emotional/romantic intimacy could progress to a sexual level. But romantic intimacy doesn't necessarily culminate to sex. True romance is about connecting on a spiritual and emotional level. Spending quality time with one another. Sexual desires can be intertwined with these romantic feelings, but those romantic feelings are not necessarily part of those sexual feelings.
Anonymous
July 12th, 2015 4:51pm
Romantic attraction is more towards someone's personality and how they make you feel, sexual attraction is more like lust you like this person's body or they way the look.
Profile: fernanda00
fernanda00
July 15th, 2015 12:12am
When it's sexual attraction, all you want to do is have a moment with that person. Like, you just want to have sex and that's it. Romantic attraction means wanting to be with that person, caring for them and loving them
Profile: Eilonwy
Eilonwy
July 16th, 2015 7:22pm
Romantic attraction is the want or desire to be in a relationship with a specific person. Sexual attraction is the want or desire to engage in sexual activities with a specific person.
Anonymous
July 17th, 2015 4:52am
Romantic attraction is when you'd like to have a relationship, on an emotional, romantic level, and sexual attraction is when you're physically attracted to a person and/or want to have sex with them.
Anonymous
July 17th, 2015 3:42pm
Romantic attraction is when you have feelings for someone and love them , sexual attraction is when you desire their body or you like their physical traits
Profile: alise
alise
July 17th, 2015 10:47pm
Romantic attraction is being romantically attracted to someone, as in, wanting to date them. Sexual attraction is being sexually attracted to someone, as in, wanting to sleep with them.
Anonymous
July 18th, 2015 7:12pm
Romantic attraction is when you want to you love someone and sexual attraction is when you like someone for their parts
Profile: AbstractAbby
AbstractAbby
July 19th, 2015 2:43am
As an asexual person who sometimes feels romantic attraction, I think about this a lot. For me, I find that sexual attraction is the more physical urges of arousal and a desire to participate in certain sexual acts with someone else (which I personally don't experience). Romantic attraction, on the other hand, is all the fluffy stuff. Wanting to spend time with someone and talk to them. Long walks on the beach and all that jazz. There might be some physical aspects to romantic attraction, such as wanting to hold their hand and cuddle, but for me, it doesn't include a desire for any activities that I deem sexual.
Anonymous
July 19th, 2015 1:01pm
Sexual attraction is attraction to a person's physical being; you feel attracted to them and would like to have coitus with them. Romantic attraction is more where you feel attracted to their innate being; you feel attracted to them and would like to have dinner with them.
Profile: Oreo
Oreo
July 19th, 2015 7:48pm
Romantic attraction is the desire to be with another person romantically, sharing time and affection. Sexual attraction is the desire to sexually interact with another person, through touching or intercourse. One can be present without the other.
Profile: helpfulHug38
helpfulHug38
July 22nd, 2015 5:58am
The line between romantic and sexual attraction differs from person to person. Romantic attraction, however, tends to be for things like hugging, holding hands, being together, and (for some people but not all) kissing/cuddling. Sexual attractions are the more heavy parts of a relationship like touching each other under clothes (or even over them), intercourse, and other varying levels of physical interactions. As I've stated though, the exact distinction between the two varies from person to person.
Profile: Klovek
Klovek
July 22nd, 2015 1:27pm
Romantic attraction is defined as 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. Many asexual people experience romantic attraction even though they do not feel sexual attraction. So romantic attraction is more a feeling of love like a deeper friendship without getting too physical or just not really desiring sexual interaction. Sexual attraction is desire based on sexual means and can be very physical.
Profile: tranquilFreedom
tranquilFreedom
July 22nd, 2015 11:15pm
The difference between a romantic attraction and a sexual attraction is in a romantic attraction you are attracted to them romantically (meaning you want to have a relationship with them) and a sexual attraction means you want to have sex with them. Nothing else.
Anonymous
July 23rd, 2015 1:56am
Romantic attraction is when you experience a deep connection with someone emotionally such as "love". . With sexual attraction it's more of "lust" rather than "love".
Profile: stuffwithbits
stuffwithbits
July 23rd, 2015 6:44am
Romantic attraction is a pull to do romantic things with a specific person. Things like, going on dates, buying them flowers, cuddling, sometimes kissing, really just anything you feel is romantic. Sexual attraction is not something I've felt personally, but I've heard it described as a gut pull to do something sexual with a specific person. Some describe it as a need or a warm sensation.
Profile: Thanks4Calling
Thanks4Calling
July 23rd, 2015 10:49am
Sometimes one can lead to the other, sometimes not. Romantic attraction is when you desire an emotional relationship with that person and sexual is when you desire a physical relationship.
Anonymous
July 23rd, 2015 4:40pm
Romantic attraction is less to do with sexual urges, and more with personality and feelings while sexual attraction is more physical admiration and possible thoughts involving sexual material
Anonymous
July 24th, 2015 3:14am
I think romantic attraction is wanting the person for all their flaws. To be attracted to them for their personality and want to stand beside them, even through their darker moments. Sexual attraction is more about the body.
Anonymous
July 24th, 2015 6:37am
Romantic attraction is more about accepting a person entirely for who they are. Sexual attraction is more about having a physical attraction to a persons appearance.
Profile: Rivkae
Rivkae
July 24th, 2015 8:26pm
Attraction differs, and there is actually a difference between romantic and sexual. Romantic attraction is about having feelings for someone, and loving them as a person and wanting to be by them. Yada, yada, it's about loving people, or having the capacity and potential to love someone. Sexual attraction, on the other hand, tends to be purely physical. You can see yourself being intimate with them physically, but not as much emotionally. Romantic attraction and sexual attraction tend to go hand in hand. Many people say 'heterosexual' to mean that they are both romantically and sexually attracted so a certain gender, but it doesn't mean that they can't be two things tackled differently. It isn't unknown to only be attracted sexually to certain genders, but then not attracted to them romantically. It's about opinion, really.
Profile: IvyXx
IvyXx
July 25th, 2015 3:53am
Sexual attraction is more of a physical endurance of you wanting to be or imagining being sexually intimate. However, romantic attraction is refereed to as wanting to be in a relationship with another and commuting yourself towards them.
Profile: Quakey
Quakey
July 25th, 2015 5:04pm
For me, romantic attraction is something you have with a partner whom you trust. This can be either love, or just extremely strong feelings toward that person. A sexual attraction, while still having some intimacy, is just that. An attraction to a person based on their body. Of course, the two can also go hand in hand.
Profile: chloeprice
chloeprice
July 25th, 2015 5:06pm
Romantic attractive is when you want to do romantic stuffs with the said person. Do you wanna have a romantic relationship with them? Do you wanna go on a date with them? Romantic attraction. Sexual attraction is when you want to have sex/do sexual things with them in general. They might be focused on the same or different people and that is fine! Some people's sexual and romantic attraction might be towards different genders and it is okay too! Just be you.
Profile: royalMoon68
royalMoon68
August 2nd, 2015 4:12am
Romance involves feelings of warmth and safety, generally associated with the "getting to know each other" side of dating. In my experience, this involves the powerful intimacy of understanding how the other person thinks and feels. This provides the means to surprise them with romantic gestures just got them that will remind them of past conversations and the intimacy that you have built. Sexual attraction for me is bolstered by that intimacy and intellectual connection, but can also be an easy physical chemistry with no other intent.
Profile: anothersunshine
anothersunshine
August 2nd, 2015 5:14pm
People feel the two differently. Romantic attractions pull at your heart and you find yourself drawn to that person and psychologically in-tune with the person. Sexual attraction is a pull at your lustful desires and your libido heightens. It affects everything but your heart.
Profile: waterlilyfarmer
waterlilyfarmer
August 5th, 2015 6:06am
Romantic attraction, for me, involves knowing a person as a person in a way that is different from friendship in a way that's hard to describe. Sexual attraction, although it can be reached from knowing non-physical traits of people. is a purely physical feeling for me.
Profile: Mugiwara
Mugiwara
August 5th, 2015 5:48pm
When it comes to romantic attraction, I guess you could say that you are in love with someone. You feel a lot of emotional affection towards that person and want to be there for them and the other way around. Whereas sexual attraction just means that you find their body attractive - it is not connected to their character or your affection towards the persons character at all.
Profile: HamRadio4Life
HamRadio4Life
August 6th, 2015 7:57pm
Romantic attraction entails emotions. Sexual attraction is more of a lustful feeling for someone. There are no emotions with a sexual attraction.