Definition

1. Noun:
   • A male demon believed to lie upon and have sexual intercourse with sleeping women: In folklore and mythology, an incubus is a male demon or evil spirit that is said to visit women in their sleep, often associated with nightmares and sleep paralysis.
   • A cause of distress or anxiety; a burden that weighs heavily on the mind: Figuratively, an incubus is something that oppresses or worries a person like a nightmare.
   • A nightmare: By extension, it can refer to a situation or experience that is terrifying or feels like a bad dream.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The medieval legend described an incubus visiting the village at night.
  • The constant threat of war was an incubus on the entire population.
  • Waking from the incubus, she was drenched in sweat and filled with dread.

Advanced Usage

• "to be under an incubus": to be oppressed by a great worry or burden.
  • For years, the debt was an incubus under which the family struggled.

Variants and Related Words

• Incubi (n): The less common plural form of incubus, alongside "incubuses."
• Succubus (n): The female counterpart to an incubus; a female demon believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping men.

Synonyms

• Nightmare: A terrifying dream or a very unpleasant or frightening experience.
• Demon: An evil spirit or devil.
• Burden: A heavy load, especially a source of great worry or stress.
• Oppression: Prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control.

Idioms and Related Phrases

• "like an incubus": used to describe something that is suffocatingly oppressive.
  • The guilt settled on him like an incubus, preventing any peace.

Noun

1. someone who depresses or worries others
2. a situation resembling a terrifying dream
3. a male demon believed to lie on sleeping persons and to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women