Meaning & use

fetish

noun·Advanced

A strong and persistent focus on a particular object or activity, especially one that has strong emotional or sexual significance.

See it in a sentence

His fetish for collecting vintage watches led him to travel across the country for rare finds.

Some cultures traditionally carved small fetishes believed to hold protective spiritual power.

A note on using this word

Fetish has a sexual sense in psychology, an anthropological sense meaning a sacred object believed to have special powers, and a general sense meaning an excessive fixation.

Words with a similar meaning

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Another way to use it

2. noun

An object believed, in certain cultures, to have magical or spiritual power.

The anthropologist studied the carved fetishes used in the community's rituals.

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