incel

See also: -incel

English

cat ladies are sometimes stereotyped as incels.

Etymology

From involuntary celibate by shortening.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɪnsɛl/

Noun

incel (countable and uncountable, plural incels)

1. (neologism) A person who inadequately or never has sex despite wishing to.
   • 2004, Phineas Mollod & Jason Tesauro, The Modern Lover: A Playbook for Suitors, Spouses & Ringless Carousers, Ten Speed Press (2004), ISBN 1580086012, page 90:

     Though, involuntary celibates (or incels) shouldn't try to rationalize a dateless season or pass off sexual awkwardness as virtue; […]

   • 2009, Luisa Dillner, Love by Numbers: The Hidden Facts Behind Everyone's Relationships, Profile Books (2009), ISBN 9781846680731, page 153:

     Another study by Donnelly of seventy-seven incels in marriages or long-term relationships in the Journal of Marriage and Family used a web-based questionnaire to ask people why they stayed in their sexless relationships (defined in this case as no sex for six months).

   • 2009, Talmer Shockley, The Love-Shy Survival Guide, Jessica Kingsley Publishers (2009), ISBN 9781843108979, page 15:

     People generally find it difficult to relate to love-shys and incels and wrongly assume we could obtain romance if we tried harder or lowered our standards.

2. (informal, uncountable) involuntary celibacy.

Synonyms

• (involuntary celibate): Wikisaurus:incel
• (involuntary celibacy): incelibacy, love-shyness, fuckstration

Antonyms

• volcel

See also

• sexually frustrated, sexual frustration

Adjective

incel (not comparable)

1. (neologism) Not having sexual relations despite wishing to.

Synonyms

• love-shy

Anagrams

• -cline, Cline, cline, incle