What does necrophile mean?
A necrophile is someone with a morbid fascination with corpses, most specifically a person who is sexually attracted to dead bodies or engages in sexual activity with them. The word is uncommon and usually appears in clinical, psychological, criminological, or literary discussions, where it describes a highly unusual form of attraction or behavior. It should not be used as a casual synonym for someone who is merely interested in death, cemeteries, or horror, since those interests do not by themselves imply the specific condition the word identifies. The related noun necrophilia names the attraction or practice, while the adjective necrophilous is more common in biological writing. Although necrophile is chiefly used for people, the prefix necrophily can also describe a behavioral tendency in some animals. The word is chiefly notable for its combination of the Greek elements nekros, meaning “dead,” and philos, meaning “loving,” a literal formation that captures its striking and disturbing subject matter.
nounA person who has a morbid fascination with corpses, especially one who engages in sexual activity with a dead body.
- A person who is sexually attracted to corpses or who engages in sexual activity with a dead body.
- A person who has a morbid or obsessive fascination with corpses.
"The novel portrays a necrophile whose obsession with death is both disturbing and deeply tragic."
"The psychiatric case study described a necrophile who experienced an intense sexual attraction to corpses."
"The article discussed a necrophile's morbid fascination with death and the physical remains of the deceased."
The plural is used when referring to more than one person with this morbid or sexual fascination with corpses.
"The novel portrays two necrophiles whose obsessions unfold in very different circumstances."
From the Greek roots for “dead” and “loving,” necrophile names a fascination that can occupy the uneasy border between the medical, the biological, and the macabre.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of necrophile
The word was formed in the 19th century from Greek nekros, meaning “dead” or “corpse,” and philos, meaning “loving” or “fond of.” Its components reflect the older compound necro- and the suffix -phile, meaning “one who loves.” The related noun necrophilia was also used for the corresponding attraction or practice, while necrophilous became established in biological descriptions of organisms associated with dead bodies.
Related word forms
How necrophile is actually used
The term is relatively uncommon and usually clinical, descriptive, or literary. It may be stigmatizing when used outside a clinical or historical discussion. The related adjective necrophilous is more common in biological contexts.
Easily confused with necrophile
A necrophile is normally a person associated with an attraction to or fascination with corpses, whereas necrophilous is an adjective describing something, often an organism, that inhabits, feeds on, or is attracted to dead bodies.