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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
WriterListener32
August 9th, 2015 6:10pm
Romantic attraction is when you feel attracted to a person for their personality or their romantic ideas. Sexual attraction is when you feel attracted to a person for their looks or how they are physically.
lesbianlibra
August 9th, 2015 8:06am
Romantic attraction is being attracted to a person In way that you would take them out on dates and sexual attraction is like a one night stand , its based on looks.
acecat
August 9th, 2015 1:45am
Romantic attraction is defined by the romantic attraction you have, and sexual attraction is defined by the sexual attraction you have. For example, an asexual could be romantically attracted to only people they have strong emotional bonds with, ie demiromantic. But a pansexual could be aromantic, meaning they feel sexual attraction to all genders, but no romantic attraction at all.
Sammy01
August 8th, 2015 10:15pm
Sexual attraction is purely physical, it's just to do with wanting to take part in sexual activity with another person. Romantic attraction is harder to explain, it's more like being friends with somebody except more extreme, you want to care for them and help them when they feel down etc. Some people experience one without the other, some people experience neither. Any of that is perfectly valid, and don't let anybody else tell you otherwise.
Anonymous
August 8th, 2015 4:45pm
To put it easily: Romantic attraction: I would want a relationship with that Sexual attraction: I would have intercourse with that They can both be different. You could for example be biromantic heterosexual. This would mean you feel sexual attraction to the opposite gender, while feeling romantic attraction to both.
Anonymous
August 8th, 2015 10:39am
- Romantic attraction: This is emotional, a result of desires for a romantic relationship with the one they feel attracted to. One can have romantic attraction towards someone without experiences sexual attraction. - Sexual attraction: Feeling physically attracted to someone, having the desire to have sexual interactions with this person.
Jenniferroseh98
August 7th, 2015 6:23pm
Romantic is where you want to build a relationship with them that is like Hugs,kisses,long walks and talking. Where as sexual is just for the purpose of having sexual relations with them
Anonymous
August 7th, 2015 2:47pm
The difference between romantic and sexual attraction is that you feel romantic feelings toward someone as in lovey and sweet. Sexual is feeling that you would have sexual relations with that person and you can see them like that.
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.
bonfalu
August 6th, 2015 4:15pm
Sexual attraction is the pull you feel from your inner thighs while romantic attraction is the pull you feel from the bottom of your heart.
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.
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.
Dillion
August 2nd, 2015 10:36pm
A romantic attraction is feelings of long term relationships that want to spend time together and share the truth about their relationship. A sexual attraction, means that you find the person attractive, and very appealing to have a sexual relationship. Sexual relationships tend to not become public as often as romantic relationships do. Also another big difference, is in romantic, you want to spend more time with each other rather then a sexual relationship one night stand.
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.
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.
thewiseowl
August 1st, 2015 5:30pm
Romantic Attraction is attraction towards a person's EVERYTHING. Their flaws, their negative and positive attributes, their personality(may it be good, bad or both) THEIR EVERYTHING. You want their attention and time. Sexual Attraction is attraction towards a person's body. The thing you usually want from them is sexual activities and it ends there.
LifeWithoutYouIsNewToo
August 1st, 2015 7:21am
Sexual attraction is just when you are interested in somebodys body, or the touch/feel of their body. Romantic is when you're together you seem like nothing else is real, and when you're alone you want them so badly it drives you mad
Orchid17
July 31st, 2015 9:49pm
Romantic attraction is when you feel an emotional connection with those who you like/love. You want to be in a close relationship and gradually become more intimate over time. Sexual attraction is when you let your body take over with the hormones and you feel lust over love.
Anonymous
July 31st, 2015 5:44pm
A romantic attraction is all about the person you're with. You can adore that person because of their mind, personality, just who they are. Where as an sexual attraction is more about their appearance. Often a sexual attraction is someone you would want to have sex with, someone who sexually attracts you. However an romantic attraction is all about the company of that person, you don't feel a need to be sexual with them.
weirdfishesarpeggi
July 31st, 2015 7:57am
Sexual: mainly physical and sex related attraction. Romantic: mainly emotional and/or personality based attraction.
20secondRed
July 31st, 2015 1:00am
Sexual attraction is when you feel physically attracted to someone, meanwhile romantic is when you feel emotionally attracted to someone. Romantic attraction deals more with being in love with someone. Sexual is more about physically wanting someone.
Gi
July 30th, 2015 10:03pm
Sexual Attraction is about the appereance of someone, is something superficial but natural. Romantic attraction is more about what the person really is and means to you - their actions. And how you feel around them, like wishing to make that person happy and have them around you.
Anonymous
July 30th, 2015 7:31pm
I would say sexual attraction is more like, you feel you like a person for their look and so on, whilst romantic attraction can be seen as something deeper, it is also about a persons personality, and simply just the way you are.
thelesbianthespian007
July 30th, 2015 6:39am
Romantic attraction is wanting to date someone. To hold their hand, pick their brain, take them on dates Sexual attraction is having a lust for someone. Wanting to kiss them, etc.
Anonymous
July 30th, 2015 12:35am
In a romantic attraction there is less selfishness and more sacrificial feelings involved. The basic attraction is towards things other than physical attractiveness , versus sexual attraction that the desire is solely based on physical pleasure.
Anonymous
July 29th, 2015 4:55pm
Romantic attraction is when you can feel in love with a person but without feeling attracted to them physically - like not wanting to have sex. Sexual attraction is when you're attracted to someone and their body - like you would want to have sex with them.
mzxw
July 26th, 2015 4:04pm
Romantic attraction and sexual attraction are two very different things. Usually romantic attractions aroused after you start getting to know the person because by then you already know about their personalities, what they do, how they respond to actions, and mainly how they are acting towards you. However, sexual attraction on the other hand grows when you are attracted to the person because of their physical qualities. You are attracted only by looking the person physically without even knowing who they are inside. Basically when you are only attracted to the physical appearance, you got the desire to get to know this person and be with them so you can admire those physical qualities closer. I mean, if you don't have any prior knowledge about this person, how can you know how you are feeling when you are around them or how they are going to act around you? Romantic attraction definitely got something to do with wanting to be attracted back by the same person, and sexual attraction got something to do by wanting to have physical contacts with the person because they got your attention by that particular physical appearance that made you feel lust. You'll know when you're attracted to a person only sexually when you can just forget about them in a short time period. But you know you are attracted to a person romantically when it's hard for you to get over them, knowing that there's a chance that somebody else could make them smile other than you, or when you are constantly worrying about their being.
Anonymous
July 26th, 2015 8:10am
Romantic is someone you see in a loving way, you can easily love this person with there being anything sexual about it. Sexual attraction is when you find someone sexy and you would desire to have sex with them.ex. I am bi romantic, I can easily love a boy or a girl. But I am hetero sexual. Which means though I can love girls and boys I only have sexual desires attractions to boys
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.
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.