Meaning & use
phallic
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Meaning
adjectivebefore a noun
Shaped like a penis, or connected with images and symbols that represent the penis, especially in art, myth and psychology.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: a phallic tower; it can also follow 'be' or 'look', as in 'the tower looks phallic'.
Patterns
- a phallic symbol
- phallic imagery
Critics joked that the skyscraper's phallic outline dominated the skyline.
Ancient fertility cults often used phallic carvings as charms.
The professor discussed phallic symbols in the novel during the lecture.
Common combinations
- phallic symbol
- Freud's followers often read a tall tower as a phallic symbol.
- phallic imagery
- The poem's phallic imagery drew mixed reactions from reviewers.
- phallic shape
- The rock formation has a distinctly phallic shape.
- phallic worship
- Some ancient societies practised phallic worship as part of fertility rites.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- phallus noun
- a penis, especially as a symbol of power or fertility
- phalli noun
- one plural of phallus
- phallocentric adjective
- centered on male power or the male viewpoint
Commonly confused: phallic or fallacy?
phallic vs fallacy
Phallic is sometimes confused in spelling with words beginning 'fall-'. A fallacy is a mistaken belief and has no link to this word.
Practice
The art historian described the tall stone monument as a ___ symbol.
Choose one answer.
Phallic refers to symbols resembling or representing the penis. The other options are real words but have unrelated meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “phallic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.