30 Idioms and Euphemisms for Sex

The topic of sex has long been surrounded by slang, euphemisms, and idioms—ways of talking about it without being too direct. These expressions are often playful, subtle, or humorous, and they reflect cultural attitudes, taboos, or attempts to keep things light or polite.

In this article, you’ll learn 30 common idioms and euphemisms used to refer to sex in English. Each phrase includes its meaning, example usage, and alternative ways to say it. These expressions appear in movies, books, casual conversation, and comedy—but be aware: most are informal, and some should be used only in relaxed or familiar settings.

1. Sleep with someone

Meaning: To have sex with someone
In a Sentence:
– “She found out he had slept with his ex.”
– “They’ve been dating for a while, and now they’re sleeping together.”
Other Ways to Say: Be intimate / Spend the night with

2. Hook up

Meaning: To engage in casual sex or physical intimacy
In a Sentence:
– “They hooked up after the party.”
– “He asked if we were just hooking up or if it meant more.”
Other Ways to Say: Have a fling / Get together

3. Get it on

Meaning: To begin sexual activity
In a Sentence:
– “That romantic scene clearly showed they were about to get it on.”
– “They went back to her place to get it on.”
Other Ways to Say: Get busy / Be intimate

4. Do the deed

Meaning: To have sex (light, sometimes humorous)
In a Sentence:
– “Everyone knew they had done the deed after that weekend getaway.”
– “They finally did the deed after months of flirting.”
Other Ways to Say: Seal the deal / Get physical

5. Hit the sack (together)

Meaning: To go to bed together, implying sex
In a Sentence:
– “They hit the sack after a long date night.”
– “It was obvious they were going to hit the sack sooner or later.”
Other Ways to Say: Go to bed together / Sleep together

6. Fool around

Meaning: To engage in sexual activity, often casually or playfully
In a Sentence:
– “They were caught fooling around behind the gym.”
– “She suspected her partner was fooling around with someone else.”
Other Ways to Say: Mess around / Be intimate

7. Knock boots

Meaning: Slang for having sex (informal, humorous)
In a Sentence:
– “The lyrics were clearly about knocking boots.”
– “They’ve been knocking boots since they got back together.”
Other Ways to Say: Sleep together / Get busy

8. Make love

Meaning: To have sex, often with emotional or romantic connection
In a Sentence:
– “They made love under the stars.”
– “The scene wasn’t graphic—it just showed them making love.”
Other Ways to Say: Be romantic / Share intimacy

9. Go all the way

Meaning: To have full sexual intercourse
In a Sentence:
– “They dated for months before going all the way.”
– “The movie hinted they went all the way.”
Other Ways to Say: Take it to the next level / Have sex

10. Do it

Meaning: A vague, common euphemism for sex
In a Sentence:
– “They’ve been dating for a year but haven’t done it yet.”
– “He asked if they were ready to do it.”
Other Ways to Say: Sleep together / Be physical

11. Netflix and chill

Meaning: A slang phrase that often implies watching something together with the intention of having sex
In a Sentence:
– “He invited her over to Netflix and chill, but she knew what that really meant.”
– “’Netflix and chill’ has basically become code for hooking up.”
Other Ways to Say: Hang out with intimacy / Casual hookup

12. Go to bed with someone

Meaning: To have sex with someone (slightly formal or literary)
In a Sentence:
– “He regretted going to bed with her after just one date.”
– “They went to bed together after a romantic evening.”
Other Ways to Say: Sleep with / Be intimate

13. Be intimate with someone

Meaning: A polite or formal way to refer to sexual activity
In a Sentence:
– “She admitted they had been intimate.”
– “The book described them becoming intimate after falling in love.”
Other Ways to Say: Make love / Share closeness

14. Have relations

Meaning: A euphemistic phrase for sexual intercourse, often used in formal or older contexts
In a Sentence:
– “The court documents mentioned they had relations.”
– “It was rumored they had relations during the trip.”
Other Ways to Say: Had sex / Were involved

15. Do the nasty

Meaning: A slang and humorous way to say “have sex”
In a Sentence:
– “They were definitely doing the nasty in that hotel room.”
– “He joked about doing the nasty after the wedding.”
Other Ways to Say: Get down / Have some fun

16. Get lucky

Meaning: To have a chance encounter that leads to sex (usually unexpectedly)
In a Sentence:
– “He was hoping to get lucky at the party.”
– “She joked that going on a date might help him get lucky.”
Other Ways to Say: Score / Hook up

17. Take someone to bed

Meaning: To have sex with someone, usually used in storytelling or descriptive writing
In a Sentence:
– “He never thought he’d take her to bed after one date.”
– “She said she doesn’t take people to bed unless she trusts them.”
Other Ways to Say: Sleep with / Be involved

18. Score

Meaning: To succeed in having sex, often used in a casual or bragging tone
In a Sentence:
– “He was bragging about scoring last night.”
– “Not everyone goes out just trying to score.”
Other Ways to Say: Hook up / Get lucky

19. Get some

Meaning: To have sex, used casually or in slang
In a Sentence:
– “He said he hadn’t gotten any in weeks.”
– “She laughed and said, ‘Go out and get some!’”
Other Ways to Say: Be intimate / Have sex

20. Ride the hobby horse (humorous and old-fashioned)

Meaning: A tongue-in-cheek or poetic euphemism for sexual activity
In a Sentence:
– “The novel used the phrase ‘riding the hobby horse’ to avoid being explicit.”
– “They were clearly off riding the hobby horse in that scene.”
Other Ways to Say: Make love / Be involved

21. Get down to business

Meaning: Used humorously to refer to beginning sexual activity
In a Sentence:
– “After a few drinks and dancing, they got down to business.”
– “The movie skipped the flirting and got straight down to business.”
Other Ways to Say: Get intimate / Start hooking up

22. Horizontal tango

Meaning: A humorous way of referring to sex
In a Sentence:
– “They were clearly in the mood for a little horizontal tango.”
– “Some comedies love referring to sex as the horizontal tango.”
Other Ways to Say: Fool around / Make love

23. Spend the night together

Meaning: Stay over and engage in sexual activity
In a Sentence:
– “They spent the night together after the date.”
– “The neighbors noticed she often spent the night at his place.”
Other Ways to Say: Sleep together / Stay over

24. Roll in the hay

Meaning: A playful or casual sexual encounter
In a Sentence:
– “They had a quick roll in the hay during the weekend getaway.”
– “It was just a harmless roll in the hay—nothing serious.”
Other Ways to Say: Casual fling / Hookup

25. Do the horizontal mambo

Meaning: A humorous or cheeky way to refer to sex
In a Sentence:
– “He joked that they did the horizontal mambo all weekend.”
– “That phrase always makes people laugh—it’s so cheesy.”
Other Ways to Say: Fool around / Be intimate

26. Have a romp

Meaning: A playful or energetic sexual encounter
In a Sentence:
– “The tabloid claimed the actor had a weekend romp in Paris.”
– “They had a quick romp before heading back to the party.”
Other Ways to Say: Quickie / Fun fling

27. Get frisky

Meaning: Become sexually playful or flirtatious
In a Sentence:
– “Things got frisky after dinner.”
– “She gave him that look—the kind that says she’s feeling frisky.”
Other Ways to Say: Get playful / Feel flirty

28. Jump someone’s bones

Meaning: To show strong sexual desire for someone (often suddenly)
In a Sentence:
– “She looked so good, he wanted to jump her bones right there.”
– “They couldn’t wait—they practically jumped each other’s bones.”
Other Ways to Say: Be all over someone / Lose control

29. Turn the sheets

Meaning: A subtle or poetic way to suggest sex
In a Sentence:
– “It was clear they were turning the sheets that night.”
– “The romantic music hinted they were about to turn the sheets.”
Other Ways to Say: Get close / Be intimate

30. Bump uglies

Meaning: A slang and humorous way to describe sex
In a Sentence:
– “They joked about bumping uglies after too many drinks.”
– “It’s a ridiculous phrase, but people still use it in comedies.”
Other Ways to Say: Hook up / Sleep together

Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks using the correct idiom or euphemism from the list above:

1. He wasn’t looking for a relationship—just hoping to ______ at the bar.
2. After months of flirting, they finally decided to ______ and take things further.
3. The movie didn’t show anything explicit, just hinted they had ______.
4. She laughed when he invited her to “______,” knowing exactly what he meant.
5. They spent all weekend ______—barely left the hotel room!
6. It was just a quick ______—nothing serious, just fun.
7. You could tell they were about to ______ the moment they locked eyes.
8. The article claimed the two stars had a secret ______ in Italy.

Answer Key

1. get lucky
2. do the deed
3. gone to bed together
4. Netflix and chill
5. doing the nasty
6. roll in the hay
7. get it on
8. romp

Conclusion

Language around sex is full of creativity—whether it’s to be humorous, respectful, vague, or playful. These idioms and euphemisms allow people to discuss an intimate topic in ways that are culturally flexible, emotionally toned, and often quite clever. But remember: context is key. Some of these phrases are safe in casual conversation, others belong in storytelling, comedy, or adult discussion.

Now that you’re equipped with 30 different ways to talk about sex without being too direct, you’ll recognize these phrases in movies, music, and everyday speech—and know how to use them appropriately, too.