plural incels
: a person (usually a man) who regards himself or herself as being involuntarily celibate and typically expresses extreme resentment and hostility toward those who are sexually active
The term "incels" emerged from a Reddit group in which tens of thousands of users, most of them young men, commiserate about their lack of sexual activity—many of them placing the blame on women.—
Josh O'Kane
Josh O'KaneIn recent years, a number of these men have identified as so-called incels, short for involuntary celibates, an online subculture of men who express rage at women for denying them sex and who frequently fantasize about violence and celebrate mass shooters in their online discussion groups.—Julie Bosman et al.
Julie Bosman et al.Examples of incel in a Sentence
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His radicalization from the confines of his own bedroom is ultimately the family’s undoing: online, the rise of incel culture and misogyny have bred young men — and in this case, children — capable of committing horrendous acts of violence.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
Adolescence can be understood, very broadly, as a dark warning about the potential ramifications of incel culture and the radicalization of young men online.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 17 Mar. 2025
What Adolescence says about incel culture Based his schoolmates’ use of emojis on Instagram, Bascombe’s son Adam believes Katie was accusing Jamie of being an incel, a misogynistic community popular online with men’s rights activists that bonds over being rejected by women.
—Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 13 Mar. 2025
Between Scream, Companion, The Boys and even his voice work on Star Trek: Lower Decks, Quaid has asserted himself as a quippy punching bag, a Buster Keaton for white guys who may or may not be an incel in waiting.
—Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
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Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
Adolescence can be understood, very broadly, as a dark warning about the potential ramifications of incel culture and the radicalization of young men online.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 17 Mar. 2025
What Adolescence says about incel culture Based his schoolmates’ use of emojis on Instagram, Bascombe’s son Adam believes Katie was accusing Jamie of being an incel, a misogynistic community popular online with men’s rights activists that bonds over being rejected by women.
—Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 13 Mar. 2025
Between Scream, Companion, The Boys and even his voice work on Star Trek: Lower Decks, Quaid has asserted himself as a quippy punching bag, a Buster Keaton for white guys who may or may not be an incel in waiting.
—Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incel
Cite this Entry
“Incel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incel. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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