What does lothario mean?
A lothario is a man characterized as a seducer, philanderer, or rake—someone who pursues relationships with multiple women. The word is often dismissive or humorous, presenting such a man as charming but morally unreliable, though some literary works give the type more psychological complexity. It can also suggest a Byronic or theatrical archetype rather than merely describing a person’s sexual behavior. “Lothario” has long been part of English literary vocabulary and remains recognizable in British and American usage, although it may sound old-fashioned when compared with “seducer,” “womanizer,” or “philanderer.” Its unusual history comes from a stage character associated with the European Don Juan tradition. Learning the word therefore adds both a precise description of a familiar social stereotype and a vivid piece of literary history.
nounA man who is a seducer or rake, especially one who pursues sexual relationships with many women.
- A man who seduces women or has numerous sexual affairs; a seducer or rake.
"The heroine initially mistakes the charming novelist for a notorious lothario."
"Her brother was a charming lothario whose romantic history was notorious."
"The playwright presents the aristocrat as a calculating lothario rather than a sympathetic lover."
The standard plural is “lotharios.”
"Novelists often portray the lotharios of fashionable society as polished and predatory."
One 1623 stage character gave English its enduring label for the seducing rake.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of lothario
The word entered English through the rakish character Lothario in Thomas Coryat’s 1623 play The Rake’s Progress, or Don Juan of Seville, which drew on the wider European Don Juan tradition. His Spanish-form name ultimately traces to the Latin name Lotharius and related Germanic personal names such as Lothair. The character’s association with sexual pursuit and rakish behavior soon made the name a general term for a seducer or libertine.
How lothario is actually used
The word often has a dated, literary, or humorous tone and commonly conveys disapproval. It remains understood in British and American English but is less neutral than terms such as “seducer.”