What is foreplay?

From our video partners

Allergies
Health videos on seasonal allergies, including allergy treatment options.

Answer

In layman's terms, it's everything that leads up to penetration. Cuddling, kissing, touching, oral, etc.

Answer

In human sexual behavior, foreplay is a set of intimate psychological and physical acts between two or more people, meant to build up sexual arousal. Foreplay takes place in preparation for sexual intercourse or another act meant to bring about mutual sexual gratification or orgasm.

Psychologically, foreplay lowers inhibitions and increases the emotional comfort level between partners. Physically, it helps to produce an erection in men, allowing them to penetrate an orifice, and it helps to promote vaginal lubrication in women, which allows penetration to take place comfortably. Foreplay can take many forms, and can take place, up to a point at least, in public. This kiss has many of the characteristics of foreplay; whether or not kissing is foreplay depends on where the couple goes from here.

If the potential partner accepts the sexual invitation, foreplay has begun. Accepting the invitation is often indicated by reciprocating with similar behavior. Since these interactions are non-explicit, there can be misunderstandings about whether an invitation has been extended and/or accepted. Whether advertent or not, this kind of miscommunication is often termed "leading someone on".

At some point, foreplay typically becomes physical. Simple and seemingly innocuous acts, such as straightening someone's clothing or hair, bumping into someone while walking, stroking someone's arm, or whispering in someone's ear can constitute foreplay. Holding hands, other touching (especially of the face), kissing, biting, massaging, or scratching any area of the body can all qualify as foreplay.

As the couple's degree of comfort and/or privacy increases, the level of intimacy in their actions usually does. More intimate examples include:

* deep tongue kissing (also known as French kissing)

* touching and massaging erogenous zones over clothing (also known as groping or petting)

* touching and massaging erogenous zones under clothing (also known as heavy-petting)

* rubbing together of partners' erogenous zones over clothing (also known as dry humping or grinding)

* undressing one's self or one's partner (also known as stripping)

These various examples are often combined; if foreplay doesn't lead to sexual intercourse, a session of such acts is sometimes called "petting" or "making out".

Direct manipulation of naked erogenous zones is almost always considered foreplay. In women, this includes stimulation of the clitoris and labia lips. In men, this includes stimulation of the penis and testicles. For both genders, this includes stimulation of nipples and anus. Stimulation can be achieved using a mouth, hands, sex toys (such as dildos or vibrators), or common household objects (such as feathers or ice cubes).

Safe sex practices can be incorporated as part of foreplay. If a condom or dental dam is going to be used, it can be applied in an erotic or playful way as part of the final stages of foreplay. (Even if birth control is being handled by Pill or some other hormonal form, safe sex still requires protection against sexually transmitted diseases.)

Foreplay tends to become more purely physical as well as more intense as it proceeds. Foreplay reaches its peak in the moments just before intercourse, when it lowers any remaining inhibitions and produces a strong mutual desire for penetration. Even at this point, some genital teasing may take place for a brief time, which marks foreplay's final seconds.

Sexual roleplaying, fetish activities, and BDSM can also be considered foreplay, though they more commonly accompany sex rather than preceding it.

Answer

Anything you do; making out, touching, etc, before you actually have sex.

Answer

Foreplay is any sexual stimulation (kissing, fondling, oral sex) that may or may not lead to actual sexual intercourse.

Foreplay is a way to stimulate the other person's sexual arousal, so that they are physically ready for sex.

Answer

Foreplay is "what happens before sex to get your both ready".

BUT I have found that I can get aroused without any sexual contact. Often just holding hands or kissing. Sometimes it's just the way he puts his hand on my shoulder or arm as we are talking.

Unfortunately, most times we can't act on it :-( because we are in public places, kids are around, etc. So by the time we get alone, we have to have foreplay again.

Answer

Chances are if you don't know, you are too young to be doing it.

Answer

Most of the answers I see are what I would consider correct. Touching each other, no matter where, is foreplay. What turns on one person may not turn on another. I have seen some women be turned on just by kissing them, they would be turned on to the point of orgasm. And I have also seen some that only oral stimulation of the clit would turn them on. All people are different and respond differently. Foreplay is really up to each individual couple as to what they want and need from each other to be stimulated to the point of making love with each other. This question I have tried to answer must have been posted by a very young person. Most couples know the answers for this.

Answer

Foreplay is the most inportant part of the sex act. Without it you might as well just go ahead and masturbate and get on with life. I am speaking from the man's point of view for I am a man. first you must undress the lady slowly while gently kissing any bare skin exsposed on the way.now that young lady is completly naked start gently kissing mouth and neck slowly working your way down to the lovely breast wich by they way is the door to females sex drive you bypass the breast you've blown it.take your time on the breast gently sucking and rotating tongue around nipple after so many minutes continue on down gently kissing till past the belly button(do not mess with this) go straight to the desert kiss her vaginia and gently start licking start looking for the clit by now it will be swollen and moist if you've done everything right before arriving.while licking the clit also lick the rest of the vagina in between with free hands you should be squeezing buttocks gently and if she lets you getting her anus moist so you can ensert index finger very gently in her anus, this well give her max climax right befor climax take other two fingers on other hand ensert in vagina while licking the clitoris(some men don't care for the smell so they hesitate to go down on a lady don't let this stop you breath through your mouth only and you can overcome this it's very inportant in a sexual relationship that you master this.)

Answer

Simply put, FOREPLAY is both partners stimulating each other with touching, kissing and heavy "petting". This is an important part of sex, because it gets both people in the "mood" and makes intercourse more enjoyable for both; during foreplay the female becomes "wet" in her vagina and that is LUBRICATION for enjoyable intercourse.

Answer

Foreplay is the best thing you can do to your partner. Experiment with penetration in different ways. Use oils and even food to spice things up a little. Trust me, women love foreplay...And ofcourse do men, but they love anything associated to sex!

Answer

Plenty of foreplay is essential for 'good sex'. From a woman's point of view there are few things more unsatisfying and annoying than an impatient man, almost panting with lust, who treats sex like the 'Hokey Cokey' - 'in-out, in-out, ya shake it all about' ... This kind of thing leaves women unsatisfied and often sends them to the bathroom for an autoerotic 'hand job'. It really is unacceptable.

Long ago I had a very sophisticated gf who was sexually highly experienced. She had a rule, which was, 'No penetration till you've made me O at least twice!' She added with a smile that it wasn't meant completely literally, but the general point was very clear! :)

Answer

Yes, I have to agree with the gf in the answer above me - if you want to satisfy a woman make her come once or twice before you engage in penetration, as far as I'm concerned, that's what foreplay means. I can still enjoy a quickie once in a while, but consistent, serious foreplay that leads to orgasm is an essential part of sex for ANY woman.

This answer is closed to changes. This is done in rare cases when questions are being vandalized or answers have become debates. Email WikiAnswers @ Answers.com if you would like it to be reopened.

First answer by ID0000000000. Last edit by Joncey. Contributor trust: 1931 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 148 [recommend question]