body count.
In sexual slang, the number of partners someone has had. In other contexts, the number of casualties or people killed.
What does body count mean?
In a conversation about sexual history, body count means the number of sexual partners attributed to a person. It is an informal and potentially judgmental way to ask about private experience, not a measure of somebody’s worth.
The same phrase has a separate established casualties sense. A report about a conflict, a crime story or an action film may use it without any sexual implication. The surrounding topic, rather than the two words on their own, supplies the intended reading.
See how it lands.
Original examples written for this entry, not quotations from the sources.
She declined to answer the body count question.
The review criticized the film’s enormous body count.
The right word.
The right moment.
Recognize the meaning when interpreting a specific question or quotation. If a discussion is appropriate, sexual history is a clearer, less objectifying description.
Avoid assigning a number to somebody, treating rumors as evidence, or assuming that the phrase always concerns sexual partners.
Not quite the same as…
hookup
A hookup can mean a casual sexual encounter or partner. Body count names a claimed total, not one encounter or a relationship category.
A little backstory.
The linked reference documents this meaning. This entry does not establish a single inventor or a first-use date; a dictionary record and a current popularity measurement answer different questions.
Supported by Wiktionary contributors
Still wondering?
Is body count always sexual?
No. The number of casualties or people killed is a distinct sense, including in reporting and fiction. Read the topic first.
Is it a neutral question?
It can sound invasive or judgmental. Knowing the definition does not create an obligation for somebody to disclose their history.
Sources & checks
Meaning and factual notes are informed by the references below. Examples and usage advice are original editorial writing. A source documents use; it does not measure current popularity.
- body count — meaning and usage ↗Wiktionary contributors · checked 20 Oct 2026Supports: meaning; distinct senses