fetish

fetish — noun

1. A strong sexual attraction to a specific object or a body part that is not usual

1.nounB2
Definition

A strong sexual attraction to a specific object or a body part that is not usually linked to sexual activity.

Example

Eitan learned in therapy that his fetish for leather boots connected to childhood memories.

fetish + for + [object], psychological context

A foot fetish is surprisingly common and rarely causes problems in relationships.

Common collocations
  • foot fetish
  • shoe fetish
  • leather fetish
  • rubber fetish
  • silk fetish
Synonyms
  • fixation

    less specific — can be non-sexual and clinical

  • object of desire

    broader — used for romantic or material desire too

Grammar Patterns

fetish + for + [object or body part]

have a fetish for

develop a fetish for

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 2: the attraction in sense 1 is specifically sexual in nature, not just a very strong interest. Clinically oriented; less common in everyday conversation.

Common Mistakes

I have a fetish for watching Korean dramas every night.
I have a fetish for leather boots.
A sexual fetish (sense 1) causes sexual attraction; a general obsession (sense 2) does not.

2. A very strong, often excessive involvement with a particular pastime or thing, l

2.nounB2
Definition

A very strong, often excessive involvement with a particular pastime or thing, leaving little time or energy for anything else.

Example

Vikram's fetish for vinyl records sent him to every second-hand shop in the city.

fetish + for + [interest], informal register

Inês had a cleaning fetish and organized her desk three times a day.

Common collocations
  • cleaning fetish
  • fitness fetish
  • cooking fetish
  • collecting fetish
  • music fetish
Synonyms
  • obsession

    stronger and more negative — can cause distress

  • fixation

    narrower — focused on one detail or aspect

  • mania

    more intense and frantic in quality

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

fetish + for + [activity or object]

have a fetish for

develop a fetish for

Usage Note

Often used informally or humorously to describe a strong hobby or habit. Carries a slightly negative tone of excess — the person spends more time or energy than is reasonable.

Common Mistakes

Cooking is just a fetish of mine.
Cooking is just a hobby of mine.
'Fetish' implies excessive or obsessive involvement. Use 'hobby' or 'passion' for a normal enjoyable interest.

3. An object that people worship or treat with deep respect because they believe it

3.nounC1
Definition

An object that people worship or treat with deep respect because they believe it contains a spirit or has supernatural powers.

Example

The elders believed the wooden mask was a fetish that guarded the community from harm.

protective fetish in ritual context

Mauricio learned about fetish objects during his anthropology fieldwork in a rural West African region.

Synonyms
  • talisman

    typically carried for good luck or protection

  • totem

    represents a group, clan, or family, not an individual

Grammar Patterns

fetish as [type of object]

protective fetish

worship a fetish

Usage Note

Frequently appears in anthropology, art history, and museum contexts. This religious meaning is the historical root of the word and predates the psychological senses (1 and 2).

Common Mistakes

The tourists bought a small wooden fetish as a souvenir.
The tourists bought a small wooden carving as a souvenir.
Using 'fetish' for a tourist souvenir can sound disrespectful. In this sense a fetish is a sacred object within a specific belief system.

Word family

  • fetishist
    nounC1
  • fetishistic
    adjectiveC1
  • fetishize
    verbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

These four words describe different levels of attachment. A fetish (sense 2) is a consuming interest that feels compulsive — you spend excessive time on it, often ignoring other responsibilities. An obsession is a mental preoccupation that is harder to control and may cause distress. A fixation is narrower, focused on one detail or aspect. Mania suggests frantic energy — a mania collector buys everything in sight. A hobby is the mildest and most positive: something you enjoy without it taking over your life. For example, someone who spends every weekend at pen shows has a fetish; someone who thinks about pens during meetings has an obsession; someone who only buys blue pens has a fixation; someone who buys twenty pens in a week has a mania; someone who enjoys writing with a nice pen has a hobby.

obsession ↗fixationmaniahobby ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • obsessively

Phrases

  • have a fetish for
  • develop a fetish for
  • become a fetish

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinPortugueseFrenchEnglish

From Portuguese 'feitiço' (charm, sorcery, spell), which comes from Latin 'facticius' (artificial, made by art). Portuguese traders and missionaries in West Africa during the 1400s used the word to describe local ritual objects they did not understand. The word entered English by way of French 'fétiche' in the 1600s. The psychological meaning related to sexual attraction was developed by European sexologists in the late 1800s.