Meanings
plural necrophilias
- countableuncountablelifestyleA pathological attraction to dead bodies.
- countableuncountableSexual activity with corpses.
A woman in Sweden has been accused of necrophilia after investigators found some 100 skeleton parts in her apartment.
2012 November 20, Associated Press, “Swedish woman charged with necrophilia after dozens of skeletal parts uncovered in home”, in Fox News1 more example
Mann was a vocal leader in the group, and she was particularly outspoken about an incident in which the school's rugby team engaged in chants calling for violence against women -- including rape and necrophilia.
2015 May 7, David Goldman, “Campus uproar over Yik Yak app after sex harassment, murder”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 29 Jun 2024 - countableuncountablemedicineA pathological fascination with death.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan irresistible sexual attraction to dead bodies
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- GermanNekrophilie
- Ancient Greekνεκρός“corpse, dead”
- Englishnecrophilia
From necro- (Ancient Greek νεκρός (nekrós, “corpse, dead”)) + -philia (Ancient Greek φιλία (philía, “affection”)), after German Nekrophilie (in Krafft-Ebing 1887).
More words from Ancient Greek, German
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 戀屍癖 /恋尸癖, 戀屍 /恋尸
- 戀屍癖 /恋尸癖 (liànshīpǐ)pathological attraction to dead bodies
- 戀屍 /恋尸 (liànshī)pathological attraction to dead bodies
- 屍體嗜好症 /尸体嗜好症 (shītǐ shìhàozhèng)pathological attraction to dead bodies
Czech nekrofilie
- nekrofiliepathological attraction to dead bodies
Danish nekrofili, nekrofili
- nekrofilipathological attraction to dead bodies
- nekrofilipathological fascination with death
Dutch necrofilie, necrofilie
- necrofiliepathological attraction to dead bodies
- necrofiliepathological fascination with death
Estonian nekrofiilia
- nekrofiiliapathological attraction to dead bodies
Finnish nekrofilia, nekrofilia
- nekrofiliapathological attraction to dead bodies
- nekrofiliapathological fascination with death
French nécrophilie, nécrophilie
- nécrophiliepathological attraction to dead bodies
- nécrophiliepathological fascination with death
German Nekrophilie
- Nekrophiliepathological attraction to dead bodies
Greek νεκροφιλία, νεκροφιλία
- νεκροφιλία (nekrofilía)pathological attraction to dead bodies
- νεκροφιλία (nekrofilía)pathological fascination with death
- θανατοφιλία (thanatofilía)pathological fascination with death
Icelandic náfrygð, náfíkn
- náfrygðpathological attraction to dead bodies
- náfíknpathological fascination with death
Italian necrofilia, necrofilia
- necrofiliapathological attraction to dead bodies
- necrofiliapathological fascination with death
Japanese 屍姦, 死体性愛
- 屍姦 (shikan)pathological attraction to dead bodies
- 死体性愛 (shitaisen'ai)pathological attraction to dead bodies
- 屍体性愛 (shitaisen'ai)pathological attraction to dead bodies
- ネクロフィリア (nekurofiria)pathological attraction to dead bodies
- 死体愛好症 (shitaiaikōshō)pathological attraction to dead bodies
Korean 시간증, 시체애호증
- 시간증 (siganjeung)pathological attraction to dead bodies
- 시체애호증 (sicheaehojeung)pathological attraction to dead bodies
- 네크로필리아 (nekeuropillia)pathological attraction to dead bodies
Lithuanian nekrofilija
- nekrofilijapathological attraction to dead bodies
Polish nekrofilia
- nekrofiliapathological attraction to dead bodies
Portuguese necrofilia, necrofilia
- necrofiliapathological attraction to dead bodies
- necrofiliapathological fascination with death
Russian некрофили́я, некрофили́я
- некрофили́я (nekrofilíja)pathological attraction to dead bodies
- некрофили́я (nekrofilíja)pathological fascination with death
Spanish necrofilia, necrofilia
- necrofiliapathological attraction to dead bodies
- necrofiliapathological fascination with death
Swedish nekrofili
- nekrofilipathological attraction to dead bodies
Turkish nekrofili
- nekrofilipathological attraction to dead bodies
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with necrophilia
Anagrams
Cite this entry
necrophilia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/necrophilia
“necrophilia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/necrophilia. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “necrophilia,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/necrophilia.
Source: necrophilia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.