nympholepsy
Americannoun
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an ecstasy supposed by the ancients to be inspired by nymphs.
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a frenzy of emotion, as for something unattainable.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of nympholepsy
1765–75; formed on nympholept, on the model of epilepsy
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.
But he was busy with his new story, in the throes of nympholepsy, seeing visions, hearing voices.
From We Can't Have Everything by Hughes, Rupert
The beautiful name of their malady was nympholepsy.
From Memoirs of My Dead Life by Moore, George (George Augustus)
Through solitude this passion may be exalted into a frenzy like a nympholepsy.
From The Posthumous Works of Thomas De Quincey, Vol. 1 by Japp, Alexander H. (Alexander Hay)
Witchcraft has seized upon you, nympholepsy has struck you.
From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 57, No. 354, April 1845 by Various
When the show was over he abandoned Miss Clampett on her door-step and went to his own boarding-house in a nympholepsy.
From We Can't Have Everything by Hughes, Rupert
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.
