Is “Homewrecker” A Sexist Word?

At the very least it’s problematic

Photo by DeMorris Byrd on Unsplash

If I were to play a word association game and the word “homewrecker” came up, I would automatically say a woman who is having an affair with a married man. I maybe would think of someone like Scarlet Johansson’s role in He’s Just Not That Into You.

I would think about a woman who knowingly pursues a married man (who may also be a father), with little disregard for his monogamous relationship. My brain on autopilot agrees with what society has told me is a homewrecker.

Any time friends or family used the phrase, it was always implied to mean a woman. Any time I knew of a man who pursued a taken woman without concern, I don’t think I’ve ever used the word homewrecker. I don’t think it even crossed my mind, to be honest.

And I’m not alone. When you look up homewrecker on urban dictionary, almost all of the results (including the top result) are gendered.

Urban Dictionary: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=HOMEWRECKER

Urban Dictionary: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=HOMEWRECKER