oversexualizes

Oversexualizes means to emphasize or impose sexual characteristics, themes, or interpretations to an excessive or inappropriate degree.

The term most often appears in discussions about media representation, where critics argue that certain groups—particularly women, teenagers, or fictional characters—are oversexualized in ways that reduce them to objects of sexual interest.

The film oversexualizes its female leads while giving male characters depth and complexity.

Someone who oversexualizes may also project sexual meaning onto situations or behaviors where none was intended.