noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK, US:fĕtʹĭsh
UK, US:fēʹtĭsh
UK, US:/ˈfɛt.ɪʃ/
UK, US:/ˈfiː.tɪʃ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛtɪʃ
rhymes with -iːtɪʃ
CMU ARPABET:F EH1 T IH0 SH
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Something which is believed to possess, contain, or cause spiritual or magical powers; an amulet or a talisman.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A figure representing the spirit of a deity, human, or animal; an idol or voodoo doll.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, dated, uncountable
Qualifier: animism
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Sexual fixation to or arousal at something abnormally sexual or nonsexual, such as an object or a nonsexual part of the body.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
I know a guy who has a foot fetish.
a fetish for leather
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: kink, objectophilia
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
An irrational or abnormal preoccupation or fixation on some object or activity; an obsession.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
He has been talking about the same topic for hours on end, I suspect he may have a fetish
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A recurrent theme of a specific thing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
excessive or irrational devotion to some activity
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
made a fetish of cleanliness
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fetich
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: devotion
7
noun
Meaning 7
a charm superstitiously believed to embody magical powers
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: juju, voodoo, hoodoo, fetich
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: charm, good luck charm
8
noun
Meaning 8
a form of sexual desire in which gratification depends to an abnormal degree on some object or item of clothing or part of the body
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
common male fetishes are breasts, legs, hair, shoes, and underwear
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: sexual desire, eros, concupiscence, physical attraction
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dheh1- Proto-Indo-European *dheh1k- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *dhh1kyéti Proto-Italic *θakjō Proto-Italic *fakjō Latin faciō Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tos Latin -tus Latin factus Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -īcus Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -īcius Latin factīcius Portuguese feitiçobor. French fétichebor. English fetish Borrowed from French fétiche, from Portuguese feitiço, from Latin factīcius (“artificial”). Doublet of factitious.
Across languages
Translations
76 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
ֆետիշ
(fetiš)
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Basque:
fetitxe
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Bulgarian:
муска́
(muská)
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Bulgarian:
амуле́т
(amulét)
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Chinese Mandarin:
物神
(wùshén)
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Finnish:
taikakalu
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Finnish:
fetišši
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Finnish:
fetissi
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Danish:
fetich
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
French:
fétiche
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
German:
Fetisch
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Hungarian:
bálvány
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Hungarian:
fétis
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Irish:
feitis
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Italian:
feticcio
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Polish:
fetysz
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Portuguese:
fetiche
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Russian:
фети́ш
(fetíš)
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Russian:
амуле́т
(amulét)
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Serbo-Croatian:
фетиш
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Serbo-Croatian:
fetiš
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Spanish:
fetiche
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Sranan Tongo:
obia
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Sranan Tongo:
wisi
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Sranan Tongo:
tapu
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Turkish:
fetiş
— something believed to possess spiritual or magical powers
Armenian:
ֆետիշ
(fetiš)
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Basque:
fetitxe
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Catalan:
fetitxe
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Chinese Mandarin:
戀物 /恋物
(liànwù)
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Czech:
fetiš
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Danish:
fetich
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Dutch:
fetisj
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Esperanto:
fetiĉo
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Finnish:
fetišši
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Finnish:
fetissi
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
French:
fétiche
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Georgian:
ფეტიში
(peṭiši)
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
German:
Fetisch
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Greek:
φετίχ
(fetích)
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Greek:
βίτσιο
(vítsio)
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Hungarian:
fétis
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Italian:
feticismo
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Japanese:
フェティシズム
(fetishizumu)
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Japanese:
フェチ
(fechi)
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Japanese:
フェティッシュ
(fetisshu)
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Korean:
페티시즘
(petisijeum)
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Korean:
페티시
(petisi)
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Lithuanian:
fetišas
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Polish:
fetysz
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Portuguese:
fetiche
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Romanian:
fetiș
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Russian:
фети́ш
(fetíš)
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Serbo-Croatian:
фетиш
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Serbo-Croatian:
fetiš
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Spanish:
fetiche
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Swedish:
fetisch
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Turkish:
fetiş
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Vietnamese:
ái vật
— something nonsexual which arouses sexual desire
Armenian:
ֆետիշ
(fetiš)
— irrational or abnormal fixation
Bulgarian:
фети́ш
(fetíš)
— irrational or abnormal fixation
Bulgarian:
куми́р
(kumír)
— irrational or abnormal fixation
Catalan:
fetitxe
— irrational or abnormal fixation
Chinese Mandarin:
迷戀 /迷恋
(míliàn)
— irrational or abnormal fixation
Finnish:
päähänpinttymä
— irrational or abnormal fixation
French:
fétiche
— irrational or abnormal fixation
German:
Fetisch
— irrational or abnormal fixation
Greek:
βίτσιο
(vítsio)
— irrational or abnormal fixation
Lithuanian:
fetišas
— irrational or abnormal fixation
Russian:
фети́ш
(fetíš)
— irrational or abnormal fixation
Russian:
куми́р
(kumír)
— irrational or abnormal fixation
Russian:
и́дол
(ídol)
— irrational or abnormal fixation
Serbo-Croatian:
фетиш
— irrational or abnormal fixation
Serbo-Croatian:
fetiš
— irrational or abnormal fixation
Spanish:
fetiche
— irrational or abnormal fixation
Ukrainian:
фети́ш
(fetýš)
— irrational or abnormal fixation
