the opposite sex

the opposite sex

Collectively, the members of the other gender, typically the gender to which one is attracted. I still remember the torture of being in middle school, suddenly so fascinated by but at once terrified of the opposite sex. I don't understand this tendency we have right now to demonize the opposite sex as some kind of enemy in a made-up social war.
See also: opposite, sex
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

opposite sex

the other sex; (from the point of view of a female) males; (from the point of view of a male) females. (Also with member of, as in the example.) Ann is crazy about the opposite sex. Bill is very shy when he's introduced to the opposite sex. Do members of the opposite sex make you nervous?
See also: opposite, sex
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

the ˌopposite ˈsex

the other sex: He found it difficult to talk to members of the opposite sex.
See also: opposite, sex
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • opposite sex
  • gender-neutral
  • neutral
  • play the gender card
  • gender fluid
  • gender fluidity
  • transition
  • CIS
  • agender
  • in drag
References in periodicals archive
Aquilino Pimentel III had earlier expressed concern that allowing transgender people to enter restrooms of the opposite sex might be exploited by voyeurs.
He refused to divulge the couple's nationalities or other identifying details, but said they "did not shake hands with people of the opposite sex."
I'm not saying people of the opposite sex can't be friends.
GScrivens Opticians and Hearing Care says: "Our research has found that an increasing number of people find the opposite sex either more intelligent, more trustworthy or more attractive when they wear glasses, compared to when they go frame free."
According to Gray, men and women live on two different planets and as a result we are often confronted with, or irritated by, incomprehensible behaviour on the part of the opposite sex.
Hawes pleaded guilty to two counts of accosting or annoying a person of the opposite sex and five counts of distributing obscene matter.
I wanted to thank you for the article, "Can Married Men and Women Just Be Friends With The Opposite Sex? (Nov.
Lee's bill would prohibit any post-secondary institution from providing benefits to unmarried couples--whether they are of the same sex or the opposite sex.
Persons of the same sex had a greater influence on each other than people of the opposite sex. In same-sex friendships, subjects experienced a 71 percent increased risk if a friend became obese.
The analyses were based on data collected for the National Health Interview Survey between 1997 and 2003; they included 614 respondents aged 18-64 who were living with a partner of the same sex and 93,418 who were living with a partner of the opposite sex when interviewed.
Popular Keir thinks of himself as a good guy, a good friend, and one who definitely respects the opposite sex. But when he is accused of doing the inexcusable, he knows that's not the way it went down because isn't he one of the good ones?
Officers defended their actions, saying that many of the young couples were sitting in "objectionable poses." Students at the local university say they are frequently harassed by police if they are seen in public with a member of the opposite sex. "This is a basic infringement of our right to freedom," says Vikas Garg, a 21-year-old graduate student.
Percentage of Persons Aged 15-44 Years Overall Tested for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) * During the Preceding Year and Percentage by Number of Sex Partners of the Opposite Sex ([dagger])--United States, 2002 ([section])
Later that year, when we had what passed for a sex education class in the 1960s, I wondered why the teacher mentioned only attraction to the opposite sex. But I knew better than to ask.
The court held that the officer's alleged subjection of the inmate to a needlessly intrusive unclothed body cavity search in the presence of a female officer violated the Fourth Amendment, but the officer was entitled to qualified immunity because there was no clearly established right of inmates to be free from bodily exposure to officers of the opposite sex at the time of the search.