Despite its misleading name, the term has nothing to do with an actual shower or anything found in a bathroom.
People across social media have been left stunned after discovering what a “Roman shower” truly means — and the real definition is far more intense than the innocent-sounding phrase suggests.
Many might associate the concept with a Roman candle, the firework, but this expression takes an entirely different direction and bears no connection to ancient pyrotechnics.
The Roman Empire is remembered for a long list of historic legacies — vast conquests, sophisticated road systems, volcanic catastrophes, and legendary gladiator combat. They also adopted Greek gods and simply renamed them. But this modern term is certainly not part of their authentic cultural heritage.
The internet loves its ongoing joke about how often men think about the Roman Empire, but anyone who stumbles across the meaning of a “Roman shower” is bound to have a very different mental image.
By this point, readers may already sense where the phrase is heading. If you suspect it involves a sexual act, you’re thinking in the right direction — so those who prefer to avoid explicit descriptions might want to pause here.
Some initially assume it relates to urine because of well-known terminology, but that theory doesn’t apply in this case.
Although urine is involved in what’s known as a “golden shower,” that is not what this expression refers to.
A Roman shower does involve one partner releasing bodily fluids on the other — but not urine.
And to be clear, it also has nothing to do with feces.
So the question becomes: which bodily fluid is involved?
A Roman shower refers to a consensual act in which one partner vomits on the other — a revelation that shocked many once they learned its meaning. After the definition spread across social platforms, users flocked to a LoveHoney forum to react and make sense of it.
One person wrote: “This is a new one for me. Wouldn’t be something I’d want to try.”
A second commented: “Whew, just when I thought I had heard of everything, I stumble across this post. I clicked it because you know, curiosity and all but WHOA.”
Meanwhile, a third added: “I don’t enjoy being sick normally, so there’s zero chance of me doing it for a sex thrill.”
The bizarre term also left many wondering where the name originated.
Its roots are thought to come from a widespread misconception about ancient Roman dining customs, particularly the belief that elite Romans would feast until they were painfully full, then head to a “vomitorium” to purge before returning to eat more.
According to the myth, guests intentionally made themselves vomit to continue indulging without discomfort — a narrative that helped cement the idea of Roman extravagance and gluttony.
But historians have debunked this entirely. A “vomitorium” was never a room for throwing up; it was an architectural feature in amphitheaters designed to let crowds exit quickly, creating the appearance of people “spewing out” into the streets.
The term still appears today in theater and stage design, where certain exits are informally called “voms” for the very same reason.
