incubus
UK/'iŋkjubәs/US
GREC2
Definitions
n.
A male demon believed in folklore to lie upon and oppress sleeping people.
梦淫妖；（传说中）伏在睡者身上压迫人的男性恶魔。
n.
A heavy, oppressive burden or nightmare (figurative).
（比喻）沉重的负担；梦魇般的重压。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedin- (upon) + cub (lie) + -us = 'the one who lies upon.' In medieval belief, an incubus was a demon that lay on sleepers, felt as a crushing weight on the chest — an old explanation for sleep paralysis. From that came the figurative sense: any oppressive, suffocating burden.
Root cub still carries 4 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.financial incubus财务重压
- 2.incubus of debt债务的重负
Example Sentences
- 1.
Medieval writers blamed the incubus for terrifying nightmares.
- 2.
Mounting debt became an incubus weighing on the whole family.