fetish

American  

[fet-ish, fee-tish] / ˈfɛt ɪʃ, ˈfi tɪʃ /

Sometimes fetich

noun

• fetishes
  plural

1. 1. any object, part of the body, or activity that is ordinarily regarded as nonsexual and causes a habitual erotic response or fixation.

   2. a habitual erotic response to or fixation on an object, part of the body, or activity ordinarily regarded as nonsexual.

   3. unconventional sexual practices involving an object, part of the body, or activity ordinarily regarded as nonsexual, considered collectively.

2. Anthropology. an object regarded with awe as being the embodiment or habitation of a potent spirit or as having magical potency.

   Synonyms:

   amulet, talisman

3. any object, idea, etc., eliciting unquestioning reverence, respect, or devotion.

   We shouldn't make a fetish of high grades, as there are other ways of measuring success.

   It's no secret that the previous administration had a fetish for secrecy.

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fetish British  

/ ˈfɛtɪʃ, ˈfiːtɪʃ /

noun

1. something, esp an inanimate object, that is believed in certain cultures to be the embodiment or habitation of a spirit or magical powers

2. 1. a form of behaviour involving fetishism

   2. any object that is involved in fetishism

3. any object, activity, etc, to which one is excessively or irrationally devoted

   to make a fetish of cleanliness

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fetish Cultural  

1. An object believed to carry a magical or spiritual force. Some so-called primitive tribes practice cult worship of fetishes. (See animism (see also animism) and totemism.)

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Usage

What is a fetish? The word fetish is used in the context of some religions to refer to an object believed to have supernatural power or to contain a spirit, especially an object that has been created, such as a small carving or sculpture. Practitioners of such religions mayuse fetishes during religious ceremonies or as charms during other activities, such as hunting. They are treated with reverence due to the belief that they contain a spirit or have a special magical power. Example: The shaman began the ceremony by placing the fetish on the altar. Based on this sense, fetish can also be used in a more general way to refer to something that is obsessed over or treated with devotion, as in a fetish for collecting fine wine. The word fetish is also commonly used to refer to nonsexual things or body parts that cause sexual arousal, as in I have a fetish for glasses. Often, another word is used to specify a person’s sexual fetish, as in foot fetish or food fetish.

Discover More

Figuratively, a “fetish” is any object that arouses excessive devotion: “Lucille made a fetish of her Porsche.”

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• fetish-like
  adjective
• fetishlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• fetishes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of fetish

First recorded in 1605–15; earlier fateish, from Portuguese feitiço “charm, sorcery” (noun), “artificial” (adjective), from Latin factīcius factitious; replacing fatisso, fetisso, from Portuguese, as above

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Explanation

A fetish is an extremely strong devotion to something. There are sexual fetishes and nonsexual fetishes: both are obsessive interests. The most common use of the word fetish is probably the sexual meaning. Someone with a foot fetish is abnormally interested in feet and gets sexual pleasure from seeing, being around, and even thinking about feet. There are probably thousands of sexual fetishes, most of which are too inappropriate to write about here. A non-sexual fetish is just an excessive interest in something, like a football fan who lives and breathes everything NFL.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fetish fetishes

Cusk describes these spaces in great detail, as if they were fetish objects.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

Mr. Armitage distinguishes himself by refusing the fetish of incompleteness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

Where many streaming mysteries make a fetish of style, depth, sociopolitical relevance and formal novelty, aiming to become conversation starters, the conversation around “Bad Monkey” might run simply like this:

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2024

Komfo Anokye was a powerful fetish priest - a person believed to act as a mediator between the spirit and living.

From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2023

But the mothers tell him no, no, they had already tied the nkisi around the child’s neck or wrist, a fetish from the Nganga Kuvudundu to ward off evil.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

As far as design fetishes go, gold is a logical one.

From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026

Our interconnected society resembles every worst part of civilization throughout history, but with a few new fetishes of its own.

From Salon ● Apr. 24, 2026

Former President Lazarus Chakwera insists the canines, trained to detect weapons, black-magic fetishes and other potential threats, are key members of his security detail.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026

Twins were believed to be the result of fetishes.

From New York Times ● Feb. 12, 2024

The witch woman buried fetishes in secret places, took her payment, and departed in her mule cart.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

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Related Words

• predilection
• proclivity

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