incubus
Americannoun
plural
incubi, incubuses-
an imaginary demon or evil spirit supposed to descend upon sleeping persons, especially one fabled to have sexual intercourse with women during their sleep.
-
a nightmare.
-
something that weighs upon or oppresses one like a nightmare.
noun
-
a demon believed in folklore to lie upon sleeping persons, esp to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women Compare succubus
-
something that oppresses, worries, or disturbs greatly, esp a nightmare or obsession
Etymology
Origin of incubus
1175–1225; Middle English < Late Latin: a nightmare induced by such a demon, noun derivative of Latin incubāre to lie upon; see incubate
Compare meaning
How does incubus compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
An incubus is a scary mythological character that visits people in their sleep, a kind of nightmare demon. If you dream that an incubus is weighing you down as you snooze, you'll probably wake in a panic. Incubus comes from the Latin incubo, "nightmare, one who lies down on (the sleeper)," which perfectly describes the legendary evil spirit that crushes sleepers, triggering terrible nightmares and making them feel like they're suffocating. In the Middle Ages, not only did people believe incubi (yes, that's the plural) were real; they passed laws against these terrifying spirits. These days, an apparent incubus is likely to be explained away as sleep paralysis, or a waking dream.
Vocabulary lists containing incubus
"The Wife of Bath's Tale," Vocabulary from the narrative poem
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"The Wife of Bath's Tale" by Geoffrey Chaucer
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"The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer, The Wife of Bath's Tale
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Either side of this 10-foot incubus Bryan Robson and Peter Shilton pose supportively, like game but frightened parents.
From The Guardian • Jul. 17, 2020
But, as Pope Francis has said, there is a moral incubus on mankind to make a reality of Article 6 of the agreement pledging the abolition of nuclear weapons altogether.
From US News • Aug. 10, 2015
At some midpoint in this incubus, it seemed that nothing would ever seem stupid, or at least surprisingly stupid, ever again.
From Slate
It hung over the incoming crop, an imminent incubus.
From Time Magazine Archive
At the close of a few months, they had to be sent back to their caves, in order to deliver the Veneto from an unbearable incubus.
From The Memoirs of Count Carlo Gozzi; Volume the First by Gozzi, Carlo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
