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fetishist

fetishist

1 9.3
A person who has a very strong interest in one object or activity, not sexual
  • noun
  • /ˈfɛtɪʃɪst/
translation icon : fetichista
  • "I'm a fetishist," he said, shrugging.

Examples

  • There are obsessive fact-finders, fetishists, and archivists who seek to gather his original possessions and learn more with every physical clue.

    Blog text (22)
  • A fetishist and an obsessive.

  • Leave open the possibility of a stretch-mark fetishist.

  • You're a left-brained word fetishist.

  • Well, I'm a fetishist.

  • You're some sort of crocodile cosplay or fetishist or whatever it happens to be, right?

  • As a devoted sneaker enthusiast, he proudly identified himself as a fetishist of rare and limited-edition footwear.

  • Being a serious music lover, she considered herself a fetishist for vintage vinyl records and spends hours collecting them.

  • The art collector was a true fetishist, obsessively acquiring pieces that represent her unique taste in contemporary sculpture.

Synonyms

freak
vsfetishist
  • Informal
475 5.5

A person who is very excited about one activity, like music or sport

refers to an unusually strong interest that can be neutral or less extreme
maniac
vsfetishist
  • Offensive
78 6.8

A person who likes something so much it seems extreme

indicates very strong interest but can be less wild or extreme
fiend
vsfetishist
  • Informal
35 7.5

A person who loves something and spends a lot of time on it

describes a strong interest that may be intense but less irrational
obsessive
vsfetishist
1 6.5

A person who thinks about one thing too much in a way that harms them

describes an unusually strong interest that may not involve constant preoccupation
monomaniac
vsfetishist
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A person who thinks about one idea so much they ignore other things

focuses on a strong interest in one object or activity without excluding others
obsessor
vsfetishist
8.1

A person who thinks about one thing too much

expresses intense interest but can be nonpersonal and not only about someone
junky
vsfetishist
  • Slang
7.9

A person who is very interested in one thing, like games or news

means a strong interest that is not necessarily addictive or compulsive

Compounds

fetus fetishist
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who feels sexual attraction to unborn babies

How Obsessed

fanatic
8 4.3
fetishist
1 9.3
devotee
25 6.0
enthusiast
81 3.4
admirer
113 2.3

Surface Forms

fetishist singular
fetishists plural

Morphology

fetishist = fetish (transparent) = fetish + ist

The formation is the same agentive derivation ('-ist') and yields 'a person characterized by a fetish', which straightforwardly extends to a strong non-sexual obsession.

Etymology

Fetishist comes from fetish, from Portuguese feitiço 'made object' and Latin facere 'to make', the same root you see in factory. It was first used for objects people thought had power, so today a fetishist can mean someone with a very strong or even obsessive interest in a particular object, activity, or body part that is not always sexual.