succubus

[ suhk-yuh-buhs ]

/ ˈsʌk yə bəs /

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noun, plural suc·cu·bi

[suhk-yuh-bahy]. /ˈsʌk yəˌbaɪ/.

a demon in female form, said to have sexual intercourse with men in their sleep.Compare incubus (def. 1).

any demon or evil spirit.

Archaic. a strumpet; prostitute.

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Origin of succubus

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin, variant of Latin succuba succuba; cf. incubus

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH succubus

incubus, succubus

Words nearby succubus

succotash, succoth, succour, succuba, succubous, succubus, succulent, succumb, succursal, succuss, such

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use succubus in a sentence

You know he told me once that he had been attacked by a succubus [female demon].
Murder, Sex, and the Writing Life: Norman Mailer’s Biography|Ronald K. Fried|November 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
You were frighted by a vision, by a nightmare, by a succubus of the night.
The Black Douglas|S. R. Crockett
Succubus, suk′ū-bus, n. a demon in female form who consorts with men in their sleep—also Succ′uba.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements)|Various
Divines, by the terms "incubus" and "succubus," designate the different parts thus performed by angels.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 5 (of 10)|Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)

It may be added that the belief in the succubus and incubus appears to be widespread.
Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 1 (of 6)|Havelock Ellis
If I did not fear to be indiscreet, I would ask you what kind of thing this succubus was, whose attack you repulsed.
L-bas|J. K. Huysmans

British Dictionary definitions for succubus

succubus

/ (ˈsʌkjʊbəs) /

noun plural -bi (-ˌbaɪ)

Also called: succuba a female demon fabled to have sexual intercourse with sleeping menCompare incubus

any evil demon

Word Origin for succubus

C16: from Medieval Latin, from Late Latin succuba harlot, from Latin succubāre to lie beneath, from sub- + cubāre to lie

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

succubus

COMPARE MEANINGS

Origin of succubus

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH succubus

Words nearby succubus

Words related to succubus

How to use succubus in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for succubus

Word Origin for succubus