succubus
Americannoun
-
succubi
plural
-
a demon in female form, said to have sexual intercourse with men in their sleep.
-
any demon or evil spirit.
-
Archaic. a strumpet; prostitute.
noun
-
Also called: succuba. a female demon fabled to have sexual intercourse with sleeping men Compare incubus
-
any evil demon
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of succubus
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin, variant of Latin succuba succuba; cf. incubus
Compare meaning
How does succubus compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
If a mythical creature wakes you at night and tempts you with erotic suggestions, then maybe you've encountered a succubus. Men had better sleep with one eye to avoid this legendary seductress who takes advantage of them. First used in the late 14th century, the noun succubus has origins in the Late Latin word succubare, meaning to "lie under." This is exactly what a succubus might do to men as she engages in sexual intercourse as they sleep. This female demon of the sleep first appeared in medieval folklore and has taken on many forms, ranging from beautiful enchantress to a ghastly supernatural being portrayed in literature, film, music, and video games.
Vocabulary lists containing succubus
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.
See Examples For:
But “Die for Me” offers compelling counterarguments — like, what if that succubus is gorgeous, rich and erudite?
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
She doesn’t need to go into all the drama of what a financial succubus her mom is, because that won’t be productive.
From Slate ● Sep. 7, 2021
She mothered iconic unhinged villains, like the green-horned succubus in “Curse of the Crimson Altar.”
From New York Times ● Oct. 24, 2019
A few days later, a protective encasement splits and healthy adult mosquitoes take flight, with a new generation of succubus females ready to feed.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 20, 2019
How was it that people who could devise so beautiful a service believed in witchcraft, demoniacal possession and obsession, in the incubus and succubus, and in the Sabbath an in many other horrible absurdities?
From The Hill of Dreams by Arthur Machen
This and several other exercises in hot-pink op-art hang near silk-screen prints that depict folkloric old-Europe visions of demons, crocodiles and succubi, alongside such New World moments as “Sitting Bull Goes to Washington.”
From Washington Post ● Jun. 14, 2018
I enjoyed the episode’s take on the modern dating scene: One wonders how many succubi are trolling Internet dating sites at this very moment.
From New York Times ● Nov. 10, 2014
It’s a razor-sharp takedown of powerful men whom Dunham calls “sunshine stealers”, a particular kind of male succubi that feed on young female talent and adoration.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 29, 2014
It starts with those small packets of Smarties, but if you take your eyes off the little succubi for even a nanosecond, they’ll soon be hoofing it down your front walkway with your decorative planters.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2011
Who this Lili Abi, or Lilith, is does not certainly appear, but, according to the Rabbis who wrote of old time, she is the first wife of Adam and queen of the succubi.
From Seeds of Pine by Janey Canuck
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.
