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
Recent Examples on the Web
But in Adolescence, the four-episode Netflix series about Jamie Miller (newcomer Owen Cooper), a budding 13-year-old incel who stabs a female classmate (Emilia Holliday) to death, the swagger some might associate with Graham is absent.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2025
Katie used emojis in Instagram comments that referred to Jamie as an incel.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 18 Mar. 2025
According to the Anti-Defamation League, a common point of grievance among incels is that 80% of women are attracted to just 20% of men, a sentiment that arises on several occasions in the series.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 17 Mar. 2025
Themes of family, cyber bullying and incel culture are interwoven and the show has been widely praised for each episode being filmed in one continuous shot.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2025
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Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2025
Katie used emojis in Instagram comments that referred to Jamie as an incel.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 18 Mar. 2025
According to the Anti-Defamation League, a common point of grievance among incels is that 80% of women are attracted to just 20% of men, a sentiment that arises on several occasions in the series.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 17 Mar. 2025
Themes of family, cyber bullying and incel culture are interwoven and the show has been widely praised for each episode being filmed in one continuous shot.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 21 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 23 Apr. 2025.
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