fetishist

F4E1T1I1S1H4I1S1T1
/ˈfɛtɪʃɪst/

noun

One who has a sexual fetish.

Opposite
UncommonScrabble 15

Meanings

nounfetishist (plural fetishists)

plural fetishists

  1. One who has a sexual fetish.

    A social media convention among young and famous people is not to show bare feet to avoid attention from foot fetishists.

    2025 April 27, Lisa Miller, Maggie Shannon, “When a Child’s Life Becomes the Family Business”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
    2 more examples

    Like other fetishists, they [foot fetishists] derive a great deal of sexual pleasure from a particular object, in this case, feet.

    2005, Annabelle du Fouet, “The murky world from whence it all came” (chapter 2), in Weather Balloons Make Rotten Sex Toys, Ellora's Cave, →ISBN, page 38

    […] in 2024, Lily Allen said she made more money selling pictures of her feet to fetishists than she earned from Spotify streams.

    2026 May 28, Amelia Gentleman, “The strange surveilled life of Piper Rockelle: why did a former child influencer decide to go on OnlyFans?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

    Synonyms: fetisher, kinkster, paraphiliac · Antonyms: normophile

  2. archaicA believer in magical fetishes or talismans.

    These races were Fetichists before they became Buddhist, Mahometan, or Christian.

    1882, Sir John Lubbock, The Origin of Civilization and the Primitve Condition of Man: Mental and Social Condition of Savages, page 4
    2 more examples

    As well might we charge the people of Massachusetts with being Fetichists, as the Professor charge us with worshipping images.

    1845, Brownson's Review, page 472

    The Fetishist thinks not merely that his Fetish is alive, but that it can help him in war, can cure him of diseases, can grant him prosperity, or afflict him with all the contrary evils.

    1866, John Stuart Mill, The Positive Philosophy of Auguste Comte, page 170

    Synonyms: fetisheer

Synonyms & antonyms

nounOne who has a sexual fetish.

Opposite

nounA believer in magical fetishes or talismans.

Similar
Also see

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁k-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*dʰh₁kyéti
  4. Proto-Italic*θakjō
  5. Proto-Italic*fakjō
  6. Latinfaciō
  7. Latinfactus
  8. Latinfactīcius
  9. Portuguesefeitiço
  10. Frenchfétiche
  11. Englishfetish
  12. Englishfetishist

From fetish + -ist.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan fetitxista
  • fetitxistaone who has a sexual fetish
French fétichiste
  • fétichisteone who has a sexual fetish
German Fetischist, Fetischistin
  • Fetischistone who has a sexual fetish
  • Fetischistinone who has a sexual fetish
Greek φετιχιστής, φετιχίστρια
  • φετιχιστής (fetichistís)one who has a sexual fetish
  • φετιχίστρια (fetichístria)one who has a sexual fetish
Icelandic blætisdýrkandi
  • blætisdýrkandione who has a sexual fetish
Italian feticista
  • feticistaone who has a sexual fetish
Portuguese fetichista
  • fetichistaone who has a sexual fetish
Spanish fetichista
  • fetichistaone who has a sexual fetish
Swedish fetischist
  • fetischistone who has a sexual fetish
Turkish fetişist
  • fetişistone who has a sexual fetish
Cite this entry
APA

fetishist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fetishist

MLA

“fetishist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fetishist. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fetishist,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fetishist.

Source: fetishist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.