What does incubus mean?
Incubus means (mediaeval folklore) An evil spirit supposed to oppress people while asleep, especially to have sex with women as they sleep..
Incubus
/ˈɪŋ.kjʊ.bəs/ · noun
Meaning
(mediaeval folklore) An evil spirit supposed to oppress people while asleep, especially to have sex with women as they sleep..
Definitions by Sense
- (mediaeval folklore) An evil spirit supposed to oppress people while asleep, especially to have sex with women as they sleep.
- A feeling of oppression during sleep, sleep paralysis; night terrors, a nightmare.
- (by extension) Any oppressive thing or person; a burden.
- (entomology) One of various of parasitic insects, especially subfamily Aphidiinae.
Example Sentences
it increaseth fearful dreams, incubus, night-walking, crying out, and much unquietness […] .
Again he felt the impulse of flight: but his body was a dry dead incubus that refused to obey his volition.
Ahead of us the lowering smoke-screen of Leeds and her gloomy satellites hung like an incubus over the land.
Notions of civic virtue were at that moment changing, in ways which would make of Louis's alleged vices an incubus on the back of the monarchy.
Synonyms for incubus
Antonyms for incubus
Related Words
Word Forms
- incubi
- incubuses
Usage Notes
Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.
Practice and Learn More
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a synonym for incubus?
Common synonyms include nightmare.
What is the opposite of incubus?
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
How do you use incubus in a sentence?
it increaseth fearful dreams, incubus, night-walking, crying out, and much unquietness […] .
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.