noun
love potion; philter; aphrodisiac
A substance believed to cause romantic desire or attraction, often appearing in folklore, fantasy, and colloquial speech.
昔話では、惚れ薬を使って相手を振り向かせようとする話がよくある。
In old tales, there are often stories of people trying to win someone's affection using a love potion.
彼は冗談で「惚れ薬
He jokingly said, 'Shall I slip you a love potion?'
媚薬 is a more formal or literary term for aphrodisiac, while 惚れ薬 is more colloquial and often associated with folk beliefs or lighthearted contexts.
Compound of 惚れ (hōre, 'falling in love', from verb 惚れる) + 薬 (kusuri, 'medicine, drug'). The reading ほれぐすり is a standard rendaku form.