Sexual attraction: What's the difference between romantic attraction and sexual attraction?
320 Answers
Last Updated: 01/20/2020 at 3:57pm
★ This question about LGBTQ+ Issues was starred by a moderator on 5/12/2016.
Moderated by
Johanna Liasides, MSc, PhDc
Psychologist
I work with youth and young adults to help them improve depressive symptoms and self-esteem as well as effectively address family, relationship and peer conflicts.
Top Rated Answers
Sexual attraction is typically defined as a pull or allure toward a specific person in which you wish to partake in sexual activities with them. It's looking at a person and having a feeling that makes you think "I'd like to have sex with them." Romantic attraction, on the other hand, is typically defined as a similar pull or allure toward a specific person, but instead of a sexual desire, it's a romantic desire. It's when you look at someone and have a feeling that makes you think "I'd like to do romantic things with them." What those romantic things entail depends on the person.
Romantic attraction deals with feelings of wanting a romantic relationship, such as dating. Romantic attraction is the desire to love someone and have that kind of relationship. Sexual attraction deals with sexual relations, and a desire to have that sort of relationship with a person.
sexual attraction involves being interested in a person sexually, it doesn't necessarily mean that you want a relationship. Romantic attraction on the other hand means that you would like to have a relationship with the person and get to know them better. This link may help clarify any confusion you have...
[https://lgbtq.unc.edu/asexuality-attraction-and-romantic-orientation]
Romantic attraction is about love, caring, and happiness of the other person. While sexual attraction is about lust and not genuinely caring for the other person, just yourself.
This one's a bit silly for me, seeing as I'm asexual. I think it's best to not over-complicate it. I believe romantic attraction is when you want to spend more time with who someone is internally, and sexual attraction is when you want to spend more time with who someone is externally. At least, that's the simple way of it.
Romantic attraction is when you feel emotionally attached to a person. You feel like you want to be close to that person or in a relationship with them. A sexual attraction is when you feel aroused by another person. You feel like you want to engage in sexual activity with that person. A sexual attraction doesn't necessarily always involve romantic attraction and vice versa.
Simply put, sexual attraction is the desire to have sex with a someone; 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. Those feelings might be described with words like 'fiery', 'burning', etc.
Romantic attraction is a desire for whatever you perceive is a romantic relationship with a specific person. It can also be immediate or more gradual. These feelings may be referred to as the 'warm fuzzies', or similar ideas to do with warmth, protectiveness, and closeness.
Anonymous
June 25th, 2015 7:00am
Romantic attraction is a feeling of love for another person based on who the person is inside not on the outside like sexual attraction. Many crushes are sexual attraction while being in a romantic attraction has a much deeper meaning and will last longer than a sexual one.
Sexual attraction has more to do with the physical part of the relationship and the romantic attraction has more to do with the emotional part. If you can get those two together fireworks will start :)
Perdita Week skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip skip
Anonymous
June 24th, 2015 4:33pm
Romance is mainly those lovey-dovey feelings you experience. Sexual attraction accounts for the want to physical touch and things of that nature.
Anonymous
June 24th, 2015 2:28pm
Romantic attraction is an attraction that you feel for somebody regardless of their gender or the way they look whereas sexual attraction is feeling attracted to someone because you find the way they look attractive.
One is a more emotional desire whereas the other is a desire ment for forwarding the species rather then our emotion
Romantic attraction= emotional attraction to personality and presence of the person (can involve cuddling, hand holding, kissing). Sexual attraction= attraction that involves wanting to have sex or do sexual things with the person.
Romantic attraction is when your attraction to them is strictly romantic (as in pretty much everything in a relationship but sex). Sexual attraction is when you're attracted to someone sexually. So to rephrase: Romantic attraction relates to everything but the actually sex, while sexual attraction is (obviously) the sex.
Romantic attraction can usually be classified as one who does not yearn for or have interest in sexual involvement with partners. Generally this person will be fine with being in relationships and having a partner/ significant other, but will not be interested in having sex (This does not mean that they cannot become aroused or have interest in the sexual activities of say, a television character). Sexual attraction can occur with or without romantic attraction. It is simply when one has sexual feelings or is sexually involved (or would like to be sexually involved) with another person.
A romantic attraction can be a feeling of an emotional and/or intellectual connection, often meaning you enjoy spending time together, talking etc. Sexual attraction can be the feeling of wanting to having physical contact, often resulting in signs around the body telling you that this is the case.
Anonymous
June 21st, 2015 4:39pm
Romantic orientation is when you want to date someone, or you have a crush on them. It's based off their personality or how they treat you. Sexualidad orientation is who you're sexually interested or not interested in. They can be the same, but don't have to be.
Sexual attraction is a feeling. When you look at someone and you think "Damn, that person is hot!". Romantic attraction is an emotion. Someone you love, no matter what, even with their flaws. Someone you can see yourself spending the rest of your days with.
Anonymous
June 21st, 2015 9:52am
Romantic attraction are the emotions evoked by wanting to do specials things for a person ex. picnics. Sexual attractions are emotions evoked by wanting to do sexual activities with someone.
The difference between romantic attraction is that you actually want to build a future with the person there will be some sexual attraction but it wont be solely based on that. Sexual attraction is just that, sexual attraction. There is no want to build anything more on the relationship.
Anonymous
June 20th, 2015 10:12pm
The difference is (of course) that when you feel a romantic attraction for somebody you don't think about having sex with him/her, you think about that person as the person her/him , not like a sex toy. When you see a boy/girl who you think is just cute you are only thinking about sex
Romantic and sexual attraction are two things that might seem as the same thing but are,in fact very different.Romantic attraction comes with feelings of affection,it's all about the feelings,the heart,the butterflies in your tummy.Whereas sexual attraction doesnt necessarily come with romantic feelings and it could be just a physical,raw need.
Romantic attraction means you're falling love with someone's personality and who they are. Sexual attraction is when you like someone from the outside, their appearance. At least that's how I understand it.
Sexual Attraction is, quite basically, the feeling a person experiences where they want to engage in sexual activities with a certain person. This feeling is an unconscious response that would normally occur due to physical/emotional factors related to the other person involved. (Please note that it is possible to be aroused by stimulation or sexual imagery but not experience attraction to a person.) Keeping this in mind, romantic attraction is an emotional response that a person may often feel in response to a desire for a romantic relationship with the person whom they feel this attraction for.
Romantic attraction is wanting to date or otherwise be close to someone. Sexual attraction is wanting to have sex with someone. Additionally, there is sensual attraction, which is wanting to have physical contact with someone, such as cuddling.
Anonymous
June 20th, 2015 3:45am
Sexual attraction: all you want is sex. Romantic attraction: sex is not all that matters. That's the general baseline
A romantic attraction is where you fancy someone and you want to be with them in a romantic way aka emotionally etc and a sexual attraction is where you are sexually attracted to someone so you wanna have sex with them
Romantic attraction is when you see yourself holding hands, talking, cuddling, watching movies, doing things you like with this person, creating memories, laughing, crying, talking about everything and nothing. Sexual attraction is when you desire a person physically, wanting to kiss and have sex with them and not feeling interested in doing anything else with them and not feeling an emotional bond or connection to them.
Anonymous
June 19th, 2015 7:18pm
Romantic attraction is where you really like a person and want to be around them, and go on dates and kiss.
Sexual attraction is where you want to have relations, or procreate with the other person, they arouse you.
Related Questions: Sexual attraction: What's the difference between romantic attraction and sexual attraction?
How do I come out as nonbinary?I've just come to terms with being transgender. How do I come out to my girlfriend of many years?How do I tell my boyfriend that I'm transgender?Is there any chats/groups/forums specifically for Transgender teens 18 and under?What does it mean to be Queer? I'm love with my best friend, but she's straight. What do I do?How do I come out to my parents?How to deal with falling in love for your best (and straight) friend?How can I explain homosexuality to my parents?Hi. I’ve had trouble with my family lately. My mom says she supports me-being an enby but won’t call me by my pronouns. And got angry at me now I’m in trouble. Please help?