What does "foreplay" mean?

The acts at the beginning of a (usually human) sexual encounter that serve to build up sexual arousal.

What is a synonym for "foreplay"?

Common synonyms include: arousal, contrectation, contrectation, foresex, foresex, stimulation.

Pronounced //ˈfɔː(ɹ)pleɪ//.

//ˈfɔː(ɹ)pleɪ// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
The acts at the beginning of a (usually human) sexual encounter that serve to build up sexual arousal. uncountable
"Actually in quick undressing or actual lovemaking modern nylons usually get ruined, but if you keep your nails and fingers smooth taking them off gently makes good foreplay, along with mutual undressing generally."
2
mutual sexual fondling prior to sexual intercourse wordnet

Verb

1
To engage in foreplay. intransitive
"I decided, while we were foreplaying, that I must get a supply, just in case."

"Do you think that foreplay is an important part of sex?"

From fore- + play.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.