For all you romantics, here is a collection of loving words. However, you are not likely to whisper any of them into someone's ear. Each of these words contains the word element phil, from the ancient Greek philein, to love. Therefore, a word containing phil is a special love, affection, attraction, affinity or preference for a certain type of thing, place, occupation or pastime. So, you'd better be careful; get too close to someone's ears, and they may accuse you of being a gynotikolobomassophilist!
Warning! Many of these words are sex related.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
~ A ~ | ||
| ablutophilia | Sexual arousal from baths or showers | |
| abrakophile | Collector of knickknacks or trinkets | |
| acarophily | Affinity with mites | |
| achluophilia | Love of darkness | |
| acidophilic | Affinity with acidic environments | |
| acousticophilia | Sexual arousal from sounds | |
| acrodendrophily | Affinity with tree-top habitats | |
| acrohygrophilous | Affinity with high atmospheric humidity | |
| acrophilous | Pertaining to or dwelling in lofty peaks | |
| acrotomophilia | Sexual preference for amputees | |
| actophilous | Affinity with rocky seashores | |
| aelophilous | Plants which spread seeds or pollen by wind | |
| aelurophile | Synonym of ailurophile | |
| aerophilately | Collecting of airmail postage stamps | |
| aerophilous | Depending on free oxygen or air | |
| agalmatophilia | Sexual arousal from statues or mannequins | |
| agliaphilia | Love of pain | |
| agonophillia | Sexual arousal from a partner pretending to struggle | |
| agoraphilia | Sexual arousal from open spaces or having sex in public | |
| agrexophilia | Sexual arousal from others knowing of one's sexual activities | |
| agrophilous | Affinity with cultivated ground | |
| aichmophilia | Love of needles and other pointed objects | |
| aigialophile | Affinity with beach habitats | |
| ailurophile | Lover of cats | |
| aiphyllophilous | Affinity with evergreen woodland | |
| albutophilia | Sexual arousal from water | |
| alcoholophilia | Abnormal desire for alcohol | |
| alektotophilia | Love of chickens | |
| algophilia | Sexual arousal from experiencing pain | |
| alkaliphile | Affinity with alkaline environments | |
| alliumphile | Lover of garlic | |
| altocalciphilia | Love of high-heeled shoes | |
| amaurophilia | Preference for a blind or blinfolded sex partner | |
| ammophilous | Sand-loving | |
| amphophilic | Cell that stains readily with either acid or basic dyes | |
| amychophilia | Sexual pleasure from being scratched | |
| anasteemaphilia | Sexual attraction to taller or shorter partners | |
| ancophilous | Affinity with steep valleys or canyons | |
| androgynophilia | Bisexual pairing of one person with a man or woman | |
| andromimetophilia | Sexual arousal dependent on a female partner impersonating a man | |
| androphilia | Sexual attraction to men, whether it be held by men or women | |
| anemophilous | In plants, pollinated by wind | |
| Anglophile | One who admires all things English | |
| anheliophilous | Affinity with diffuse sunlight | |
| anthophilous | Flower loving; feeding on flowers | |
| anthropophilous | Affinity with close proximity to humans | |
| apodysophilia | Feverish desire to undress | |
| apotemnophilia | Sexual arousal from the desire to have one's limbs amputated | |
| arachnephilia | Sexual arousal from spiders | |
| arctophilist | Collector of teddy bears | |
| argentophil | Synonym of argyrophil | |
| argyrophil | Tissue elements capable of being made visible by impregnation with silver salts | |
| arenophile | Collector of sand | |
| Asiaphilia | Love of all things Asian | |
| asphyxiophilia | Sexual arousal through self-strangulation | |
| astrophile | One fond of learning about stars | |
| audiophile | Lover of sound | |
| Australophilia | Love of all things Australian | |
| autagonistophilia | Sexual arousal from exposing one's naked body or genitals to strangers | |
| autassassinophilia | Sexual arousal from putting oneself in life-threatening situations | |
| autogynephilia | Fetishistic attraction by a man to the idea of being a woman | |
| automysophilia | Sexual arousal from being dirty or defiled | |
| autonecrophilia | Sexual arousal from imagining oneself as a corpse | |
| autonepiophilia | Sexual arousal from behaving as a baby | |
| autophilia | In plants, self-pollinating. In humans, self-love | |
| autoscopophilia | Sexual arousal from looking at one's own body | |
| autovoxiphilia | Love of one's own voice | |
~ B ~ | ||
| baptisaphilist | Collector of Christian names | |
| barophilic | Affinity with high-pressure environments | |
| bathophilous | Affinity with very deep water | |
| belonephilia | Sexual arousal from the use of pins and needles | |
| biastophilia | Arousal from sexually assaulting an unwilling victim | |
| bibliophile | Lover of books | |
| biophilous | Life-loving | |
| botanophile | Lover of plants | |
| brandophilist | Collector of cigar bands | |
| bryophilous | Affinity with mosses | |
~ C ~ | ||
| cacophonophilist | Lover of harsh sounds | |
| cagophilist | Collector of keys | |
| calciphilic | Affinity with calcium | |
| campanophile | Lover of bell-ringing | |
| canidaephilia | Sexual attraction to canines | |
| canophilist | Lover of dogs | |
| carpophilia | Sexual arousal from the sensual feeding of fruits | |
| cartophilist | Collector of cigarette cards | |
| catheterophilia | Sexual arousal from the use of catheters | |
| celtophile | One who admires all things Celtic | |
| chalcophile | Affinity with sulfide minerals and ores | |
| chasmophilous | Affinity with crannies and crevices | |
| chersophilous | Affinity with dry places | |
| chionophile | Snow loving | |
| chirophile | Lover of hands | |
| chiropterophilous | Affinity with bats | |
| choreophilia | Sexual arousal from dancing | |
| chrematistophilia | Sexual arousal from being obliged to pay for sexual services | |
| chromophilous | Staining easily | |
| chronophilia | Sexual attraction to a partner of significantly different age | |
| chrymosymphily | Amicable relationship between ants and larval lepidoptera | |
| chrysophilist | Lover of gold | |
| cinephile | Lover of films or movies | |
| claustrophilia | Fondness of small, enclosed places | |
| clinophilia | Passion for beds | |
| colombophile | Pigeon-fancier | |
| congophile | Affinity with Congo red dye | |
| copoclephilist | Collector of keyrings | |
| coprophilia | Fetishistic attraction to feces | |
| cremnophilous | Affinity with cliffs | |
| crenophilous | Affinity with springs | |
| crurophilia | Love of legs | |
| cryophilic | Affinity with low temperatures | |
| cryptovestiphilia | Attraction to women's underclothing | |
| cumyxaphile | Collector of matchboxes | |
| cyanophilous | Readily absorbing a blue stain | |
| cypripareuniaphile | Lover of prostitutes | |
~ D ~ | ||
| dacryphilia | Sexual arousal from seeing a partner cry | |
| dendrophilous | Fond of or inhabiting trees | |
| discophile | Collector of phonograph records and CDs | |
| doraphilia | Love of fur or skin (usually leather) | |
| dysmorphophilia | Sexual arousal from deformities in others | |
~ E ~ | ||
| ecdysiophile | One who likes watch people strip | |
| electrophile | Reagent that is attracted to electrons | |
| electrophilia | Sexual arousal from electrical stimulus | |
| emetophilia | Sexual arousal from vomit | |
| endytophilia | Preference for a clothed sex partner | |
| entomophilous | Attracted or attractive to insects | |
| eosinophile | A leukocyte readily stained with eosin | |
| ephebophilia | Sexual attraction of an adult to an adolescent | |
| epistemophilia | Love of knowledge | |
| eproctophilia | Sexual arousal from flatulence | |
| eremophilous | Affinity with desert regions | |
| ergophilia | Love of work | |
| erotophonophilia | Sexual arousal from sadistically killing one's partner | |
| errinophilist | Collector of revenue or tax stamps | |
| Europhile | Lover of all things European | |
| eurythermophile | Affinity with a wide range of relatively high temperatures | |
| extremophile | Affinity with extreme conditions | |
~ F ~ | ||
| flatuphilia | Sexual arousal from others passing gas | |
| formicophilia | Sexual arousal from ants crawling on one's genitals | |
| forniphilia | Sexual arousal from making furniture from humans in bondage | |
| Francophile | Lover of all things French | |
| frigophilic | Affinity with cold environments | |
~ G ~ | ||
| galanthophile | Lover of snowdrops | |
| Gallophile | Lover of all things French | |
| gastrophile | Lover of food | |
| geophilous | Living in or on the ground; growing under the ground | |
| Germanophile | Lover of all things German | |
| gerontophilia | Sexual attraction to elderly people | |
| glossophilia | Love of languages | |
| gynelophilia | Sexual arousal from pubic hair | |
| gynemimetophilia | Sexual attraction to a male impersonating a female | |
| gynephilia | Love of a woman by a man or by another woman | |
| gynotikolobomassophilia | Love of nibbling women's earlobes | |
| gynophilia | Synonym of gynephilia | |
| gypsophilius | Affinity with gypsum | |
~ H ~ | ||
| halophilous | Affinity with salt | |
| harmatophilia | Arousal from sexual incompetence, usually in a female partner | |
| harpaxophilia | Sexual arousal from being the victim of robbery or burglary | |
| hebephilia | Sexual attraction to teenagers | |
| heliophilous | Attracted by sunlight | |
| helixophile | Collector of corkscrews | |
| helohylophilous | Affinity with wet or swampy forests | |
| helolochmophilous | Affinity with meadow-thicket habitats | |
| helophilous | Affinity with marshes | |
| hemerophilous | Affinity with human activities | |
| hemophilic | Affinity with blood | |
| hippophile | Lover of horses | |
| hirsutophilia | Attraction to hairy men | |
| Hispanophile | Lover of all things Spanish | |
| hodophilia | Sexual arousal from travelling to new or strange places | |
| homicidophilia | Sexual arousal from sadistically killing one's partner | |
| homilophilia | Sexual arousal from hearing or giving sermons | |
| homophilia | Sexual attraction to a person of the same sex as oneself | |
| hoplophilia | Sexual arousal from firearms and weaponry | |
| hostelaphile | Collector of outdoor inn signs | |
| hybristophilia | Sexual arousal from people who have committed crimes | |
| hydrophilous | Affinity with water | |
| hygrophilous | Affinity with moist places | |
| hylodophilous | Affinity with dry, open woodland | |
| hylophilous | Affinity with forests | |
| hyperphilia | Compulsive desire for sex | |
| hyperthermophile | Affinity with extremely hot environments | |
| hyphephilia | Sexual arousal from touching skin, hair, leather, fur or fabric | |
| hypophilia | Having sex very infrequently, or not at all | |
| hypoxyphilia | Sexual arousal from being strangled | |
~ I ~ | ||
| iatrophilia | Excessive fondness for physicians | |
| ichthyophile | Lover of fish | |
| iconophile | Connoisseur of icons or images | |
| infantophilia | Sexual attraction to small children | |
| infracaninophile | One who favours the underdog | |
| insulaphilia | Love of islands | |
| Islandophilia | Love of all things Icelandic | |
| isophile | One who likes others of the same sex | |
| Italophile | Lover of all things Italian | |
~ J ~ | ||
| Japanophile | Lover of all things Japanese | |
| Judeophile | Lover of all things Jewish | |
~ K ~ | ||
| kleptophilia | Sexual arousal from stealing | |
| klismaphilia | Sexual pleasure from enemas | |
| korophilia | Attraction to young men or boys | |
~ L ~ | ||
| labeorphile | Collector of beer bottle labels | |
| lactaphilia | Sexual arousal from lactating breasts | |
| laleorphilist | Collector of beer bottles | |
| Latinophile | Lover of all things Latin American | |
| lavacultophilia | Strong desire to stare at someone in a bathing suit | |
| lepidopterophile | Collector of butterflies | |
| lexiconophilist | Collector of dictionaries and word books | |
| lignophilic | Affinity with wood | |
| limnodophilous | Affinity with salt marshes | |
| limnophilous | Affinity with freshwater ponds | |
| linguaphile | Lover of languages | |
| lipophilic | Affinity with lipids | |
| lithophilous | Affinity with stones | |
| logophile | Lover of words | |
| luciphilous | Affinity with open, well-lit habitats | |
| lygophilous | Affinity with dark or gloomy places | |
| lyophile | Easily dispersed | |
~ M ~ | ||
| macrophilia | Sexual attraction to larger people | |
| maieusiophilia | Sexual arousal from pregnant women | |
| malacophilous | Pollinated by snails | |
| malophilia | Love of apples | |
| mammagymnophilia | Sexual arousal from female breasts | |
| maniaphilia | Attraction to insane people | |
| mastigophilia | Sexual gratification from being punished | |
| mazophila | Synonym of mammagymnophilia | |
| mechanophilia | Sexual arousal from machines | |
| megalophilia | Sexual arousal from large objects | |
| megamalophilia | Extreme love of apples | |
| melcryptovestimentaphilia | Attraction to women's black underwear | |
| melangeophilous | Affinity with loam | |
| mellitophilous | Attractive to bees | |
| menophilia | Sexual arousal from menstruating women | |
| merinthophilia | Sexual arousal from being bound | |
| mesophilous | Affinity with moderate and constantly moist environments | |
| mesothermophilous | Affinity with temperate regions | |
| methanophile | An organism capable of oxidising methane | |
| metrophilia | Love of metro rail or subway systems | |
| microaerophilic | Affinity with oxygen at a level below that found in air | |
| microphilic | Affinity with a narrow temperature range | |
| moriaphilia | Sexual arousal from telling sex related jokes | |
| morphophilia | Sexual arousal from a person with a different physique | |
| musicophile | Lover of music | |
| myiophilous | Affinity with flies | |
| myrmecophilous | Affinity with ants | |
| mysophilia | Sexual arousal from soiled or dirty clothing | |
~ N ~ | ||
| nanophilia | Sexual attraction to short people | |
| naphephilia | Sexual arousal from touching or being touched | |
| narratophilia | Sexual arousal from erotic conversation | |
| nasophilia | Sexual arousal from kissing, sucking, touching or looking at another's nose. | |
| necrophilia | Sexual attraction to corpses | |
| necropedophilia | Love of young dead people | |
| negrophile | One who admires and supports black people | |
| nemophilist | One who is fond of forests | |
| neophile | One who loves novelty and trends | |
| nepiophilia | Sexual attraction to very young children | |
| neutrophile | The chief phagocytic leukocyte | |
| Nipponophilia | Love of all things Japanese | |
| nitrophilous | Affinity with nitrogen | |
| nomophilous | Affinity with pastures | |
| nosophilia | Sexual arousal from knowing that a partner is terminally ill | |
| notaphilist | Collector of banknotes | |
| nucleophile | Attracted to nuclei | |
| nyctophilia | Preference for darkness or night | |
| nymphophilia | Love of a female adolescent by an adult | |
~ O ~ | ||
| oabagphilist | Collector of OA (Order of the Arrow) flaps | |
| ochlophilia | Sexual arousal from being in a crowd | |
| ocnophile | Chronically dependent on one's lover | |
| oculophilia | Sexual arousal from eyes | |
| odontophilia | Sexual arousal from teeth | |
| oenophile | Lover of wine | |
| olfactophilia | Sexual arousal from body smells | |
| ombrophilous | Affinity to rain | |
| ophiophilist | Lover of snakes | |
| orgadophilous | Affinity with meadows | |
| ornithocophilous | Affinity with bird excrement | |
| ornithophilous | Affinity with birds | |
| orophilous | Affinity with mountains | |
| osmophilic | Affinity with high osmotic environments | |
| oxyphilous | Affinity with acid | |
~ P ~ | ||
| paedophilia | Sexual attraction to children | |
| pagophilous | Affinity with ice | |
| palaeophile | Antiquarian | |
| paraphilemia | Love play | |
| paraphilia | Preference for deviant sexual behavior | |
| pathenophilia | Love of virgins | |
| pecattiphilia | Sexual arousal from sinning | |
| pediophilia | Sexual arousal from dolls | |
| pediophilous | Affinity with uplands | |
| pedophilia | Synonym of paedophilia | |
| pelagophilous | Affinity with the open surface waters of the sea | |
| pelophilous | Affinity with mud or clay | |
| peridromophile | Collector of streetcar transfers | |
| peristerophilist | Collector of pigeons | |
| petrophilous | Affinity with rocks | |
| phallophile | One sexually aroused by penises | |
| Philadelphia | City of Brotherly Love | |
| philalethist | Lover of truth | |
| philander | Have casual love affairs with women | |
| philandrist | Lover of men | |
| philanthropy | Love of humankind | |
| philately | Collector of postage stamps | |
| philauty | Self-love; selfishness | |
| philemalagnia | Sexual excitement as a result of kissing | |
| philharmonic | Music-loving | |
| philhellene | Lover of Greece | |
| philhippic | Horse-loving | |
| phillumenist | Collector of matchboxes of matchbox labels | |
| philobat | One who enjoys coping alone with dangerous and uncertain situations | |
| philobiblist | Lover of books | |
| philocaly | Love of beauty | |
| philocomal | Pertaining to hair care | |
| philocubist | Lover of dice games | |
| philodemic | Fond of the common people | |
| philodespot | One who loves tyranny | |
| philodox | One who is fond of their own opinions | |
| philogeant | One who loves everything on Earth | |
| philographer | Collector of autographs | |
| philogynist | Lover of women | |
| philomath | Lover of learning | |
| philomythist | Lover of mythology | |
| philometrist | Collector of envelopes, etc., for their postal meter impressions | |
| philoneist | Obsessive follower of fads or trends | |
| philonoist | One who seeks knowledge | |
| philopatric | Tendency to remain in a native locality | |
| philophaster | Shallow philosophical dabbler or poseur | |
| philopolemicist | One who loves to argue or debate | |
| philopornist | Lover of prostitutes | |
| philoprogenitive | Prolific; characterised by love of offspring | |
| philosemitism | Pro-Jewish | |
| philosophaster | Pretender to philosophy | |
| philosophunculist | Synonym of philosophaster | |
| philophronesis | Use of gentle speech or humble submission to mitigate anger | |
| philosopher | Lover of wisdom | |
| philotecnic | Devoted to the arts | |
| philotheist | Lover of God | |
| philotherian | Lover of animals | |
| philtre | Love potion | |
| philothermic | Affinity with warm climates | |
| philoxenist | One who loves to entertain strangers | |
| phobophilia | Sexual arousal from fear | |
| phonophilist | Collector of gramaphone records | |
| photophilic | Affinity with strong light | |
| phreatophilous | Affinity with ground-water habitats | |
| phretophilous | Affinity with water tanks | |
| phycophile | Affinity with algae | |
| phygephilia | Sexual arousal from being a fugitive | |
| phytophilous | Affinity with plants | |
| pictophilia | Sexual arousal from viewing pictorial pornography | |
| pithikosophilia | Love of monkeys | |
| pluviophile | Affinity with abundant rainfall | |
| podophilia | Sexual arousal from feet | |
| pogonophile | Lover of beards | |
| polyiterophilia | Sexual arousal only after sex with several partners | |
| pornophile | Lover of pornography | |
| potamophilous | Affinity with rivers | |
| psammophilous | Affinity with sand | |
| pseudonecrophilia | Sexual arousal from fantasising about corpses | |
| psychophilous | Pollinated by butterflies and moths | |
| psychrophilic | Affinity with relatively low temperatures | |
| pubephilia | Sexual arousal from pubic hair | |
| puellaphilist | Lover of girls | |
| pygophilist | Lover of buttocks | |
| pyrophilia | Sexual arousal from fire | |
| pyrophilous | Affinity with burnt areas | |
| pyroxylophilous | Affinity with burnt wood | |
~ Q ~ | ||
(None known) | ||
~ R ~ | ||
| rabdophilist | Collector of walking sticks | |
| raptophilia | Sexual arousal from raping a victim | |
| retrophilia | Love of things of the past | |
| rhabdophilia | Sexual arousal from being flogged, beaten or caned | |
| rheophilous | Affinity with running water | |
| rhizophilous | Affinity with roots | |
| rhyacophilous | Affinity with torrents | |
| rugophilic | Affinity with rough or concave surfaces | |
| Russophile | Lover of all things Russian | |
~ S ~ | ||
| saprophilous | Affinity with decaying organic matter | |
| sarcophilous | Fond of flesh | |
| sciophilous | Affinity with shade | |
| scopophilia | Voyeurism | |
| scotophilia | Love of the dark | |
| scripophilist | Collector of stocks and share certificates | |
| sepentinophilous | Affinity with the mineral serpentine | |
| siderodromophilia | Sexual arousal from trains | |
| siderophilous | Affinity with iron | |
| Sinophile | Lover of all things Chinese | |
| sitophilia | Sexual arousal from food | |
| skiophilous | Synonym of sciophilous | |
| Slavophile | Lover of all things Slavic | |
| somnophilia | Arousal from sexual activity with a sleeping partner | |
| sphagnophilous | Affinity with sphagnum moss | |
| sphingophilous | Affinity with hawk moths | |
| spiladophilous | Affinity with clay | |
| stegophilist | One whose pastime is climbing the outside of buldings | |
| stigmatophilia | Sexual arousal from a partner who is stigmatised (i.e, tattoos, piercings, scars) | |
| subxerophilous | Affinity with moderately dry situations | |
| symphily | Living together for mutual benefit | |
| symphorophilia | Sexual arousal fro arranging a disaster, crash or explosion | |
~ T ~ | ||
| taphephilia | Sexual arousal from being buried alive | |
| taphophilia | Love of cemeteries | |
| taphrophilous | Affinity with ditches | |
| technophile | One who is fond of technology | |
| teleiophilia | Sexual attraction to adults | |
| telmatophilous | Affinity with swamps and marshes | |
| termitophilous | Affinity with termites | |
| thalassophilic | Preference for the sea | |
| theophilanthropist | Lover of both God and mankind | |
| theophile | Lover of God | |
| thermophilic | Affinity with heat | |
| thiophilic | Affinity with sulfur | |
| threpterophilia | Attraction to female nurses | |
| thrombophilia | Genetic propensity for the blood to clot too easily | |
| timbrophilist | Collector of postage stamps | |
| timophilia | Sexual arousal from power or wealth | |
| tobaccophile | Lover of tobacco | |
| topophilia | Great love for a particular place | |
| toxophilist | One who enjoys archery | |
| traumaphilia | Synonym of traumatophilia | |
| traumatophilia | Sexual arousal from wounds or trauma | |
| trichophilia | Sexual arousal from hair | |
| tripsolagnophilia | Sexual arousal from massage | |
| troglophilic | Affinity with caves | |
| tropophilous | Affinity with seasonal extremes of climates | |
| turophile | Lover of cheese | |
| typhlophile | One who is kind to the blind | |
| tyrosemiophilist | Collector of Camembert cheese labels | |
~ U ~ | ||
| umbraphile | Lover of shade | |
| umbrophilic | Affinity with shade | |
| urophilia | Sexual arousal from urine | |
~ V ~ | ||
| vorarephilia | Sexual arousal from the idea of being eaten, eating another, or watching this | |
| vicarphilia | Sexual arousal from other people's sexual experiences | |
| videophile | Lover of television and videos | |
~ W ~ | ||
(None known) | ||
~ X ~ | ||
| xenophile | One attracted to that which is foreign | |
| xerophilous | Affinity with very dry conditions | |
| xylophilous | Affinity with wood | |
| xyrophilia | Love or attraction to blades and razors | |
~ Y ~ | ||
(None known) | ||
~ Z ~ | ||
| zebraphilia | Love of zebras | |
| zelophilia | Sexual arousal from jealousy | |
| zoophilia | Love of animals | |
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