incubus

noun

Definition of incubusnext
as in demon

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of incubus The Devil’s Museum, a satellite of the main collection, has amassed more than 3,000 depictions of demons, evil spirits and incubus from around the world. — Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025 Your fame sits beside you like an incubus, and people are embarrassed and want to leave the room. — Candace Bushnell, Vogue, 23 Feb. 2025 This meaning is visualized in Henry Fuseli’s 1781 painting The Nightmare, which shows a woman sleeping peacefully on a couch while a nauseating monster—an incubus—sits portentously on her abdomen, unbeknownst to her. — Time, 28 Dec. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incubus
  1. demon
  2. banshee
  3. phantom
  4. ghoul
  5. imp
  6. wraith
  7. specter
  8. apparition
Noun
  • As Capers endured a whirlwind of intense scrutiny during that time, he was forced to confront painful memories and long-dormant demons.
    — Ethan Rocke, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The iconic flashing logo behind and above the band was larger, Simmons’ side of the stage was modeled after his demon persona and Frehley’s was themed around his associations with outer space.
    — Wes Orshoski, SPIN, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of demon
Noun
  • Three species of bats inhabit the site, and supernatural events—including the appearance of the gamekeeper’s ghost and the wail of a banshee—have been reported.
    — Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026
  • Weaving, even more than before, makes Grace an ingénue gone banshee.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Definition of banshee
Noun
  • Both phantoms were packed with thousands of dosimeters, tracking radiation dose over specific phases of the flight rather than just a cumulative total.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The two phantoms were designed to be adult females, since previous research found that breasts and ovaries are especially susceptible to radiation damage.
    — Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of phantom
Noun
  • Gemma even winds up having to give a teeth cleaning to one of the silent, creepy ghouls pursuing her.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Practicality Viewers know Walton Goggins’ Cooper Howard as a ghoul because of radiation from a bomb dropped in 2077.
    — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of ghoul
Noun
  • At her very best, Emily behaves like a petulant pre-adolescent spoiled imp.
    — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Mykal-Michelle Harris from Raven’s Home guest-stars as Ruby, a mischievous moon imp who tricks Vee.
    — Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of imp
Noun
  • Next comes the arrival of a tinkling blue ice cream truck manned by an eerily silent, smiling, wraith-like purveyor (Ari Millen) with a John Waters mustache.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Pilots can see bad weather lurking in the distance hours before takeoff, glowing like a wraith on their digital maps.
    — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Definition of wraith
Noun
  • At a press conference Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney raised the specter of US job losses due to Trump’s auto tariffs.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • But the specter of a public vote on the project continues to linger as a group of petitioners who oppose using public tax dollars on the stadium demands that voters get a say.
    — Dylan Lysen, Kansas City Star, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of specter
Noun
  • One minute, the stubble field in front of his stand had been empty, and then suddenly, like an apparition, a whitetail buck had appeared.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
  • That is, until miraculous apparitions turn it into a place to be.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 17 July 2026
Definition of apparition

Browse Nearby Words

incubi
incubus
inculcate
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Cite this Entry

“Incubus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incubus. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on incubus

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about incubus

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