incel

noun

in·​cel ˈin-ˌsel How to pronounce incel (audio)
plural incels
: a person (usually a man) who is or identifies as involuntarily celibate and typically expresses extreme resentment and hostility toward those who are sexually active

Examples of incel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These two origins—gaming and incel culture—make maxxing seem perverse and fringe. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026 So that would be kind of one of the goals is to disassociate from being an incel and overcome that. — Ryan Brennan april 15, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026 This is the concept that forms the bedrock of the destructive incel ideology. — David Faris, TheWeek, 8 Apr. 2026 The teenager also expressed misogynistic, antisemitic and incel views. — Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 21 May 2026 The notion that Tyler cultivated an audience of white incels flies in the face of the many Black fans that Odd Future had at the very beginning. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025 Scenarios included a school shooting, incel shooting, and racist shooting in the US; and a school stabbing, incel stabbing, and racist stabbing in Ireland. — ArsTechnica, 11 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

involuntary celibate

Note: The word incel apparently first appeared on a Usenet newsgroup in the late 1990's. See the article by Ben Zimmer, "How 'Incel' Got Hijacked," published online at Politico Magazine, May 8, 2018 (https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/05/08/intel-involuntary-celibate-movement-218324/).

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of incel was in 1999

Rhymes for incel

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Browse Nearby Words

ince
incel
in celebration of
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Cite this Entry

“Incel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incel. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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