Fetish Sex Meaning

Fetish Sex Meaning

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fe·tish

| \ ˈfe-tish

also ˈfē-

\

1 a

: an object (such as a small stone carving of an animal) believed to have magical power to protect or aid its owner

broadly

: a material object regarded with superstitious or extravagant trust or reverence

b

: an object of irrational reverence or obsessive devotion : prepossession

c

: an object or bodily part whose real or fantasied presence is psychologically necessary for sexual gratification and that is an object of fixation to the extent that it may interfere with complete sexual expression

2

: fixation

3

: a rite or cult of fetish worshippers

He has a fetish for secrecy.

He wore a fetish to ward off evil spirits.

Federal prosecutors said Buck's unrelenting fervor to satisfy a fetish by preying on vulnerable men, often young and Black, is reason enough to keep him behind bars for the rest of his life.

—

CBS News , 14 Apr. 2022

That fits nicely with the show’s fetish for an earlier age of recording and viewing technology.

—

New York Times , 4 Mar. 2022

If this is reality for them, their curing physician has a huge Ancient Egypt fetish that’s gotten out of hand.

—

Chris Smith, BGR , 20 Apr. 2022

Not a performance review or a trip to the dentist (unless that’s your fetish ).

—

Anna Pulley, chicagotribune.com , 15 Mar. 2022

The outdoor industry, with its fetish for new materials and focus on complex innovation, is a guilty party in all of this.

—

Heather Hansman, Outside Online , 9 Dec. 2021

MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster

variants:
also fetich \
ˈfet-ish also ˈfēt-
\

: an object or bodily part whose real or fantasized presence is psychologically necessary for sexual gratification and that is an object of fixation to the extent that it may interfere with complete sexual expression

macarons
macaroons

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When fetish first appeared in English in the early 17th century, it referred to objects (often amulets) believed by certain West Africans to have supernatural powers. During the 19th century, the word took on a broader meaning: "an object of irrational devotion or reverence." The object need not be physical: a person may have a fetish for an idea, such as an unwarranted belief that a particular economic system will solve society’s ills. By the early 20th century, fetish took on yet another meaning quite distinct from its antecedents: a sexualized desire for an object (such as a shoe) or for a body part that is not directly related to the reproductive act (such as an earlobe).

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fetish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback .

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

French & Portuguese; French fétiche , from Portuguese feitiço , from feitiço artificial, false, from Latin facticius factitious
“Fetish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetish. Accessed 1 Jul. 2022.
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Understanding Your Sexual Fetish

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Before we discuss anything else, let’s get one thing clear: Having a fetish doesn’t make you strange. It’s not anything to be ashamed of or to hide from your potential partners.
In fact, as long as what turns you on is safe for you, safe for your partner and legal, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t explore boundaries and desires in your bedroom. Having sex can get monotonous for anyone, no matter how sexy they find their partner, so adding in a little kink is never a bad idea to keep it fresh and stimulating.
But depending on what gets you riled up, your fetish may say something more about you than just what it takes for you to get an erection. In fact, it may give some insight into other parts of your life — your career, your fitness habits and more. Straight from the sexperts themselves, here’s what your secret fetish says about you:
When it comes to bondage (like tying folks up, exploring gagging and whipping), it all depends on which you’d rather be the one in control or the one surrendering to their partner. Being a dominant usually means that you might feel like you’re lacking control in some other part of your life: Maybe you don’t feel like you’re directing your own career path or your friends are usually taking the reins in conversations.
Alternatively, if you’re a submissive, you might need a break from always being the leader. More often than not, being a submissive is difficult for people because it requires complete trust and relaxation with your partner — something that you may need to work on outside of the bedroom, too.
Believe it or not, having a foot fetish is pretty common. Your feet are powerful sensors — in fact, almost every nerve in your entire body can be reached by applying different pressures to parts of your foot. If you like massaging feet, you likely enjoy bringing other people pleasure or making them happy, as you watch her body respond to wherever you touch.
If you’d rather get the foot massage, you may have underlying aches, pains and areas of your body that need attention. The sudden surge of sensation to different parts may actually be a signal that your annual physical is past-do. Once you get that checked out, you can fully enjoy tantalizing your every inch via your toes.
Different body parts can hold different meanings — and sexual value — to different people. You may be obsessed with your girlfriend’s round bottom while your friend may care more about his girl’s large rack.
Being particularly attracted to one part just means that you associate desire with an area of a woman’s body, and says that you likely are decisive about many things in your life: what you want to eat, what you want to do, what your career goals are, etc. Knowing what you like is a great quality and something that’ll serve you — and her — well in the bedroom.
Do you like spanking a big butt and you’re not ashamed of it? You’re definitely not alone - spanking is a very common turn on for both men and women, and for good reason. The part of your bottom that meets the back of the thigh is actually considered a pleasure zone, and when you have a sudden sensation — say a slap? — you stimulate your arousal.
Likely, if you’re into spanking, you are rather spontaneous, enjoy planning surprises or being surprised yourself, and you’re likely looking for new things to add to your bedroom repertoire all the time.
Who doesn’t like the element of surprise? If having sex in places where you may or may not get caught really turns you on, you are likely one of two people: someone who really likes routine or hates it. If you’re used to doing the same thing day-in and day-out, your desire to have a romp in a park or in the car means that you’re craving some variety or maybe considering a big change in your life.
On the other hand, if you can’t stand doing the same thing, having sex publicly is probably something that feeds your adventurous spirit.

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Turned on by insects? Yeah, that's a thing.
You've definitely heard of foot fetishes and bondage. But, there's basically a bottomless well of things that turn people on.
You’ll often hear people refer to these interests as sexual kinks or fetishes . But what exactly are fetishes and sexual kinks? And why do people have them?
Sex therapist Kelifern Pomeranz, PsyD, says that all fetishes are kinks, but not all kinks are fetishes. “A fetish is a sexual attraction to inanimate objects, body parts, or situations not commonly viewed as being sexual in nature, [while] a kink is a broader term that includes a variety of sexual interests, behaviors, preferences, and fantasies that are thought to be outside of the mainstream.”
According to Justin Lehmiller, PhD, a research fellow at the Kinsey Institute and the author of Tell Me What You Want , fetishes and unusual sexual interests develop gradually. A person might see a particular stimulus—like, say, a boot—while they're sexually aroused, and eventually come to associate arousal with boots.
Or, Lehmiller says, grouping an object or body part together with orgasm might prompt a person to seek out that same object or body part in the future because the brain expects the same reward. ( Orgasms , of course, floods the brain with dopamine, the neurotransmitter that regulates motivation and pleasure.)
Fetishes get stigmatized because they're reasonably rare. Plus, there's a lot of sexual shame in our culture. And they often involve impulses that puzzle the masses: Bees all over your genitals? Unbounded attraction to vomit? But the brain wants what it wants.
If you’re interested in exploring a kink or sexual fetish with your partner, communication is key. “Set aside time for this conversation when you are both relaxed and when you are getting along," Pomeranz suggests.
And make sure to come informed: “Do your research and share well-informed and reliable information. Share articles, videos, books, and information from sex researchers, academics, educators, and therapists normalizing and supporting your interest.” You essentially want to put their fears and anxieties at ease. Exploring any type of sexual kink or fetish will always require consent and patience.
It's okay if it's a bit awkward at first, says Holly Richmond , PhD, a certified sex therapist based in New York. "People can get in their heads about whether it's weird, but let yourself off the hook about any judgments." As long as it's consensual and pleasurable, you're doing it right.
If you want to learn more about different forms of sexual play, here’s a list of 21 sexual kinks and fetishes you may not have heard about before.
Cuckolding is a form of BDSM and power play, says Richmond.
The act calls for one person to watch their partner have sex with someone else or listen to stories about their partner having sex with someone else. The goal here is usually humiliation. The person watching or listening is turned on by their partner desiring someone else over them. They enjoy the stimulation of being cheated on and experimenting with an act that's considered taboo.
And while it's not a rule, cuckolding typically involves a man whose woman partner, whether that's a wife or girlfriend, has sex with another man and cosplays desiring the other man over her husband or boyfriend.
This turn-on is one experienced by people who find enemas arousing, says Richmond. A Greek term, klismaphilia, refers to the pleasure someone experiences from relieving themselves while using an enema, they enjoy the pressurized feeling. For others, it's the feeling or knowledge of having their bowels cleaned. And in other cases, it's all about giving someone an enema or preparing the body for an enema. Most klismaphiles discover their fetish after having a doctor-recommended enema in childhood.
"If someone has a fetish for nylons it means they're attracted to someone wearing nylons or putting them on," says Richmond. "The tactile part turns them on."
Men usually, she says, report enjoying the feeling of sitting on their mothers' laps and feeling her nylons underneath their legs. For others, they felt pleasure watching someone put nylons on in a film, and sometimes people just enjoy the feeling of putting them on or peeling them off.
This one's exactly what it sounds like—some people are aroused by pregnant people. The starting point is usually porn, says Richmond. There are numerous sections on popular porn websites dedicated to it—even dating websites dedicated to men connecting with pregnant women.
But sometimes, simply seeing expecting mothers, particularly during childhood, is what sets things off. An older sibling watching their mother preparing to deliver their younger sibling can manifest itself into this fetish later in life.
And what people consider pleasurable about pregnancy differs. For some, it's the "glow" pregnant women have. Sometimes, is seeing a large round belly (the bigger the better) and heavy breasts filled with milk (more on that fetish later). And for others, is the fact that it seems taboo—though pregnant women can have sex.
Considering how mainstream whips have become in media portrayals of kink and fetishism, this one might not be so surprising.
Richmond recommends, however, starting slowly if you're new to using whips. This kind of power and punishment play is really fun, but can get painful very quickly if you and your partner don't talk it out first. Ask where they'd like to be whipped and discuss a scale to assess pain, 10 being the hardest whip and 1 being the softest.
It's also a good idea to come up with a safe word other than "stop." Go for something totally random that you'd never say during sex. Maybe try: "sticker" or "asphalt."
Wax play is another common part of BDSM often depicted least on television, books, and film.
It involves dripping wax onto someone or having wax dripped on you, says Richmond. The biggie here is using appropriate candles. The scented ones you've got around your house will likely not do the trick and might even burn you or your partner. Opt for paraffin or soy candl
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