Meaning of bodice-rippery | Babel Free

Definitions

The archetypical content of bodice rippers; violent or aggressive sex in romance fiction.

informal, uncountable

Examples

“She says that her first novel was born out of a profound love of medieval history, but I fear that what she really loves is historical romance, fantasy, and bodice-rippery.”

“A tale of skulduggery, bodice rippery, and shoot-’em-up action unfolds, complete with help from a luscious mistress of disguise who could have stepped right out of a James Bond novel.”

“While the genre has generally distanced itself from bodice-rippery, romance authors do continue to play with the look or feel or meaning of non-consensual sex and what’s sometimes called “dubious consent” or “dub-con” sex.”

CEFR level