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I am writing an essay about The Catcher in the Rye, and need to mention Stradlater's ability to get with basically any girl he wants. It can be said that he "gets around" (sorry for lack of a better source, the term is slang after all.)

My teacher does not like us using phrases like this anyway, even if it were not slang, either. She emphasizes the importance of the literal meaning, and would say that this term would mean something like "walking in a circle".

Is there a more formal, less slang term for the phrase "getting around"?

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  • Calling the guy a player may be accurate, but may not make your teacher happy.
    – Gary's Student
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 20:58
  • @Gary'sStudent I used the word experienced to substitute player already :)
    – erdekhayser
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 20:59
  • Are you looking for a formal way to express the concept that the guy is a ladykiller?
    – user66974
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 21:05
  • @Josh61 Basically. I am using the word experienced for the noun, but I really need to get a verb/adjective to say that he goes around with women a lot.
    – erdekhayser
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 21:08

1 Answer 1

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I would suggest the adjective promiscuous, as OALD explains:

  1. having many sexual partners

    • promiscuous behaviour
    • a promiscuous lifestyle
    • to be sexually promiscuous

While the dictionary says the term is "disapproving," I believe it is the most neutral term you will find. It describes the behavior without explicitly approving or condemning it, unlike most of the purported synonyms Thesaurus.com suggests like licentious, oversexed, or unchaste, or in particular the many unkind terms historically reserved for women, from trollop to harlot to slut.

Related: “Man” is to “womanizer” as “woman” is to what? and its duplicate Feminine equivalent for Casanova.

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  • The dictionary on my Mac uses the word promiscuous in the definitions for a few of your other suggestions also. It also fits in perfectly with my sentence. Thanks!
    – erdekhayser
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 21:13

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