heterosexual
/ˌhetərəˈsekʃuəl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌhetərəˈsekʃuəl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌhe-tə-rō-ˈsek-sh(ə-)wəl -ˈsek-shəl/ (ame, mw) · /ˌhet.ər.əˈsek.ʃu.əl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌhet̬.ə.roʊˈsek.ʃu.əl/ (ame, ipa)
heterosexual — adjective
- heterosexualpositive
- more heterosexualcomparative
- most heterosexualsuperlative
1. A heterosexual person is romantically or sexually drawn to the other gender — wo
A heterosexual person is romantically or sexually drawn to the other gender — women who feel that way about men, and men who feel that way about women.
Trang said in the interview that she is heterosexual and engaged to her boyfriend.
predicative: subject + be + heterosexual
Most of Eitan's heterosexual friends got married in their late twenties.
attributive: heterosexual + noun (friends, couples)
The novel follows a heterosexual nurse who falls in love with a male patient.
Tariq is openly heterosexual but supports his gay brother at every parade.
Until last year, Sofie identified as heterosexual, but she now describes herself as bisexual.
- homosexual
attracted to the same sex
- gay
informal and now standard; usually of men, sometimes of women
- bisexual
attracted to both sexes, not exclusive
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person; the word describes the person's orientation, not a single behaviour. Distinguish from sense 2, which describes relationships or activity between opposite-sex partners rather than a person's identity.
常見錯誤
2. Describing a relationship, marriage, or sexual contact that takes place between
Describing a relationship, marriage, or sexual contact that takes place between a man and a woman.
The study compared rates of divorce in heterosexual marriages across three countries.
attributive: heterosexual + relationship noun (marriage, couple, relationship)
Minho's parents are in a long heterosexual marriage of nearly forty years.
noun phrase: a/an + adjective + heterosexual + noun
The film portrays a complicated heterosexual relationship between a chef and a food critic.
Heterosexual intercourse is one route by which the virus can pass between partners.
- opposite-sex
neutral alternative often used with marriage or couple
- mixed-sex
less common; mainly British formal writing
- same-sex
of marriage, couple, or relationship between two people of the same sex
- homosexual
between two people of the same sex; can sound clinical
用法筆記
Used with a noun naming the relationship or activity (marriage, couple, relationship, intercourse), not the person. If the subject is a person, choose sense 1 instead.
常見錯誤
heterosexual — noun
- heterosexualsingular
- heterosexualsplural
1. Someone whose romantic or sexual feelings are directed towards the other gender
Someone whose romantic or sexual feelings are directed towards the other gender — a man drawn to women, or a woman drawn to men.
Arjun is a heterosexual, but several of his closest college friends are gay.
predicative: be + a + heterosexual
The dating app lets heterosexuals, gay men, and lesbians filter matches by orientation.
plural countable noun: heterosexuals
Felix married another heterosexual he met at his sister's wedding in Lisbon.
The survey asked heterosexuals to describe their attitudes towards same-sex marriage.
- straight person
informal; the natural everyday phrase
- hetero
very informal; sometimes used pejoratively
- homosexual
noun: someone attracted to the same sex; clinical tone
- gay person
neutral everyday alternative
- lesbian
a woman attracted to women
用法筆記
Countable noun; pluralises as 'heterosexuals'. In daily conversation, the informal noun 'a straight person' or 'straights' is far more common; 'a heterosexual' as a noun sounds formal or clinical.