incestuous

adjective

in·​ces·​tu·​ous in-ˈses-chə-wəs 

-ˈsesh-

1

: constituting or involving incest

2

: guilty of incest

3

: excessively or improperly intimate or exclusive

"… mainstream fashion magazines have an incestuous relationship with advertisers, and that undermines integrity."

—Ike Ude

incestuously adverb

incestuousness noun

Examples of incestuous in a Sentence

There were rumors that the father and daughter had had an incestuous relationship.

Recent Examples on the Web

Why did a series rooted in facts, while playing with shifts in perspectives, intermittently portray the brothers as having an incestuous relationship? —Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2025

Udo Kier Dracula and incestuous Italian lesbians amounts to one of the gayest vampire movies of all time, which is really something to say about the gayest of all the great monster archetypes. —Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024

Ryan enjoys the performances of Quinn and Hechinger, both perversely weird and in garish face powder and recalling Joaquin Phoenix’s incestuous turn in the first film, but the movie doesn’t quite go far enough into the twisted and weird. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024

One of the most controversial elements of the series are scenes that suggest the brothers shared an incestuous connection. —Jessica Wang, EW.com, 24 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for incestuous

• tempestuous

Kids Definition

incestuous

adjective

in·​ces·​tu·​ous in-ˈses-chə-wəs 

1

: being or involving incest

2

: guilty of incest

incestuously adverb

Medical Definition

incestuous

adjective

in·​ces·​tu·​ous in-ˈses(h)-chə-wəs 

1

: constituting or involving incest

2

: of, relating to, or guilty of incest

infantile incestuous wishes of the Oedipus complex