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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
findthebeautythatsleft
January 6th, 2016 3:07am
Often people define the two as romantic attraction being who you could see yourself loving, and sexual attraction as who you could see yourself holding at night.
chamomilewizard
January 6th, 2016 2:27am
Okay, so romantic attraction is when one wishes to partake in actions entailing romantic behaviors with another, such as dating. Sexual attraction, however, is the feeling of wishing to partake in sexual actions with another person. (A specific person, I might add!)
Anonymous
January 4th, 2016 6:23pm
Romantic attraction is the desire to engage in romantic activities with another person, such as kissing and all that. Sexual attraction is the desire to engage in sexual activities with another person. It all gets a little complicated when you take into account sensual (touch based) attraction and platonic (friendly) attraction, but that's the basics.
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.
Anonymous
January 3rd, 2016 6:15pm
this is a cliche answer but when you feel comfortable with a person to the point where you can share your life moments with them and feel safe when they are around and want to make them smile ..that is romantic attraction . Sexual attraction is more visual . You see a cute person and think oh maybe i should go talk to them....its not based on the personality of the person , more on their looks .
somerandomer999
January 3rd, 2016 4:25pm
Romantic Attraction is who you love. Sexual attraction is who you go to bed with. For example you can love both men and women but only want to sleep with women.
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.
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.
MrSpace
January 2nd, 2016 2:10pm
When you have a romantic attraction for someone, you tend to be flirty and tempted to strike a conversation with the person. You want to be affectionate and crave the cuddles! On the other hand, sexual attraction tends to be a deeper yearn or perhaps a crave. You want more intimacy and to be a little more hands on. There's less of the butterflies and more of a need than a want
Anonymous
January 1st, 2016 8:39pm
Romantic attraction is most commonly known as 'love', whilst sexual attraction is often deemed 'lust'. When one is romantically attracted to another, he, she, or it has emotional attachment to that person, but when he, she, or it is sexually attracted to another, there is no emotional attachment, but rather a desire for the other person based upon looks or what pleasure can be derived sexually from that person.
Anonymous
January 1st, 2016 1:46am
With a sexual attraction, you don't see yourself with them in the future. You don't see yourself marrying the person. All you want to do is be with them for a night then leave. Romantic is the opposite, you want to be with them as their girl/boyfriend and could see yourself having a future with them.
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!
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.
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. :)
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..
dreamaboutme
December 25th, 2015 9:14pm
Romantic attraction is when you actually love that certain person. You want to hug them, hold them, and just spend the rest of your life with them. Sexual attraction is when you simply want to have an intercourse with that person.
Greatlistener87
December 25th, 2015 4:04pm
Romantic Attraction is when you are romantically attracted to that person in ways like how they are as a person and what they do for you and the people you love and stuff like that. Sexual Attraction is when you like someone on how they look physically.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
exquisiteKermit59
December 23rd, 2015 11:27pm
Romantic attraction may or may not include sexual attraction. The main difference between them is that romantic attraction focuses more on the emotional side of the relationship, while sexual attraction focuses entirely on the carnal desire that a person feels.
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.
SpookyBlue
December 23rd, 2015 7:55pm
Romantic attraction is when you feel the need to be romantic with someone; meaning you want to do things that are considered romantic with them, like holding hands, cuddling, going on dates, and more. Sexual attraction is when you find a person appealing physically and would like to be sexually intimate with them. Romantic and sexual attraction can be separate from one another or they can operate hand in hand.
Hopeorhug
December 20th, 2015 7:21pm
Sexual attraction is just based on your human instinct. Romantic attraction takes on 3 things, mind, heart,and instict. So the difference is that sexual attraction is pretty simple, its a brain reaction that needs to be fed, tamed, or stopped sometimes. Romantic attraction is a thing you cant stop nor tame nor start that easily.
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
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.
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.
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.