incestuous

adjective

in·​ces·​tu·​ous in-ˈses-chə-wəs 

-ˈsesh-

1

: constituting or involving incest

2

: guilty of incest

3

: excessively or improperly intimate or exclusive

"… mainstream fashion magazines have an incestuous relationship with advertisers, and that undermines integrity."

—Ike Ude

incestuously adverb

incestuousness noun

Examples of incestuous in a Sentence

There were rumors that the father and daughter had had an incestuous relationship.

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the earliest examples in film was Pier Paolo Pasolini's 1975 film Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, which depicted a father-daughter incestuous relationship. —Dory Jackson, People.com, 5 May 2025

This season has been filled with all sorts of unsavory drama, including a party turned incestuous, a surprise cameo (and unsettling monologue) from Sam Rockwell and an Inigo-Montoya-esque confrontation with a shadowy landowner. —Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025

Even the hints at a somewhat incestuous relationship feel like an echo of season two, when Jack and Quentin were posing as family members. —Samantha Allen, Them, 18 Feb. 2025

The song highlights West’s claim of having an incestuous relationship with his male cousin as a kid. —Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for incestuous

• tempestuous

Kids Definition

incestuous

adjective

in·​ces·​tu·​ous in-ˈses-chə-wəs 

1

: being or involving incest

2

: guilty of incest

incestuously adverb

Medical Definition

incestuous

adjective

in·​ces·​tu·​ous in-ˈses(h)-chə-wəs 

1

: constituting or involving incest

2

: of, relating to, or guilty of incest

infantile incestuous wishes of the Oedipus complex