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

The romance of the show isn’t solely in the (mildly incestuous) love triangle, though. —Sarah John, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025

As the season aired, Nivola and Schwarzenegger made headlines for their incestuous relationship on the show, but off-screen their bond is anything but complicated. —Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025

Claire was secretly pregnant with Byron’s child, and Byron himself was fleeing rumors of an incestuous relationship with his half-sister. —Thomas Page McBee, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2025

So why do these incestuous love triangles seem so escapable right now? —Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 29 Aug. 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