lolita

IPA/ləʊˈliːtə/
KK[lolˈitə]IPA/ləʊˈliːtə/

lolita — noun

  • lolitasingular
  • lolitasplural

1. A word used to describe a girl who is thought to have adult-like sexual qualitie

1.nounC2
Definition

A word used to describe a girl who is thought to have adult-like sexual qualities — drawn from Nabokov's 1955 novel character and widely considered offensive when applied to a real child.

Example

Austin book club members objected to calling a real child a lolita after the novel.

call + (noun) + a lolita — pattern of use

A London newspaper called a missing 14-year-old a lolita, drawing strong criticism from child protection groups.

call + someone + a lolita — journalistic context

Common collocations
  • call someone a lolita
  • the term/word/label lolita
  • described as a lolita
  • lolita figure
Synonyms
  • nymphet

    Also from Nabokov's novel, but stays closer to literary usage; less common in everyday speech

  • jailbait

    Slang term focusing on legal illegality (underage) rather than appearance; more pejorative and casual

Grammar Patterns

lolita + verb

call/describe + someone + as + a lolita

Usage Note

This term is controversial and many people consider it offensive when applied to real children or teenagers. It derives from Vladimir Nabokov's 1955 novel, not from clinical or neutral language. Avoid using it in formal, academic, or journalistic contexts to describe a real person, as it can be seen as objectifying and harmful.

Common Mistakes

Your daughter is turning into such a lolita.
Your daughter is growing up quickly.
calling a real child a 'lolita' is widely considered offensive and objectifying.
The police described the missing girl as a lolita.
The police described the missing girl as a child who looked older than her age.
the word 'lolita' is inappropriate in serious or official contexts.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Lolita and nymphet both originate from Nabokov's novel and refer to a young girl seen as sexually precocious, but nymphet is more literary and far less common in everyday talk. Jailbait is informal slang that emphasizes the legal danger (underage status makes sexual contact a crime) rather than appearance or manner, and it carries a stronger pejorative tone. Seductress applies to an adult woman who deliberately attracts others, so the age difference is a key distinction — it does not imply a child. Of these three, lolita is the most controversial and most likely to cause offence when used about a real person. For example: calling a teenager in a news report 'a lolita' would draw far more criticism than describing a character in a novel as 'a nymphet.'

nymphet ↗jailbait ↗seductress ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • lolita complex
  • lolita fashion

Etymology

SpanishEnglish

Comes from the name of the young girl in Vladimir Nabokov's 1955 novel 'Lolita'. The name itself is a Spanish diminutive of Lola, which is a nickname for Dolores (Spanish for 'sorrows'). After the novel became famous, readers began using 'lolita' as a label for a type of girl, rather than just a character name.