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Glite Dictionary
nympholept

nympholept

9.9
A person who is obsessed with forest spirits
  • noun
  • /ˈnɪmfəˌlɛpt/
  • Archaic
: nymfolepto
  • After seeing the mystical waterfall, he seemed a true nympholept, lost in reverie and longing.

Examples

  • The poet was called a nympholept for his obsession with woodland spirits in his works.

  • Legends tell of the nympholept who wandered the forests, forever seeking the elusive nymphs.

  • He is a true nympholept.

  • Don't be such a nympholept!

  • After seeing the mystical waterfall, he seemed a true nympholept, lost in reverie and longing.

  • Legends tell of the nympholept who wandered the forests, forever seeking the elusive nymphs.

  • The poet was called a nympholept because of his passionate writings about the enchanting spirits of nature.

How Obsessed

nympholept
  • Archaic
9.9
fanatic
18 4.3
enthusiast
81 3.4
fancier
2 7.4
admirer
96 2.3

Surface Forms

nympholept singular
nympholepts plural

Morphology

nympholept = nymph (semi-transparent) = nymph + lept

The element 'nymph' is clear, but the combining form '-lept' (meaning 'seized') is obscure to most learners, so the derivation is only partially transparent.

Etymology

The word nympholept comes from nymph, a nature spirit, and -lept meaning 'seized' or 'taken'. So a nympholept is someone 'seized' by a strong love or longing for nymphs, which is why it means a person passionately enamored with these nature spirits.