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View synonyms for

incubus

[ in-kyuh-buhs, ing- ]

noun

plural incubi incubuses.
  1. an imaginary demon or evil spirit supposed to descend upon sleeping persons, especially one fabled to have sexual intercourse with women during their sleep. Compare succubus ( def 1 ).
  2. a nightmare.
  3. something that weighs upon or oppresses one like a nightmare.


incubus

/ ˈɪ԰ʊə /

noun

  1. a demon believed in folklore to lie upon sleeping persons, esp to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women Compare succubus
  2. something that oppresses, worries, or disturbs greatly, esp a nightmare or obsession
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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yvlog History and Origins

Origin of incubus1

1175–1225; Middle English < Late Latin: a nightmare induced by such a demon, noun derivative of Latin Գܲ to lie upon; incubate
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yvlog History and Origins

Origin of incubus1

C14: from Late Latin, from Գܲ to lie upon; see incubate
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Compare Meanings

How does incubus compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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Example Sentences

Let’s pause here briefly to note that Immanuel is likely referencing incubi and succubi in her sermons.

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In similar spirit, Johnson found fresh depths of populist vulgarity when he spoke last June of pitchforking the EU incubus off the nation’s back.

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All so they can keep expanding, squatting over lives like feudal incubi.

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The woman — girl, really — was physically tiny, not to mention inappropriately dressed for the task of extracting this colossal incubus, this 10-ton Minotaur, from the fourth floor.

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For decades, poorly justified scientific fears of future warming have hovered as an incubus over U.S. energy development.

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