15 Bizarre and Unexpected Fetishes You've Probably Never Heard Of

What's the strangest fetish you've come across? We're not talking about something as tame as foot jobs here — plenty of people genuinely enjoy those. The genuinely weird fetishes venture into territory involving physical danger, illegal activity, and some truly unusual kinks.

Next time your partner suggests a bit of roleplay or some light bondage, you might actually feel a wave of relief that it's nothing like what's on this list.

1. Symorophilia

This fetish centers on arousal triggered by witnessing disaster. Psychologist John Money coined the term back in 1984 in a dedicated academic paper. A textbook example: a car crash. Anyone who's seen (or read) "Crash" already has a sense of what this fetish looks like in practice.

Symorophilia isn't the same as the natural, sometimes sexualized response our bodies have to grief or tragedy. It's more tied to the adrenaline rush of danger itself — and it can genuinely lead to injury or death. Storm chasers, constantly courting disaster themselves, might overlap with this fetish more than most.

2. Trichophilia

Everyone knows men tend to find long hair appealing, but does that preference ever cross into fetish territory? Absolutely — that's trichophilia. This goes well beyond simply enjoying flowing locks or a shampoo-fresh hairstyle.

People with trichophilia become genuinely fixated on and sexually charged by hair — not necessarily just head hair, either. It might be body hair, or something as specific as a man's stubble. Perhaps the ideal match for a bearded hipster is someone with this exact fetish.

3. Quicksand Peril

There isn't an official clinical term for this one yet, but that hasn't stopped the internet from producing plenty of videos and images centered on it. For some, watching someone — often a woman — nearly sink into quicksand is deeply arousing. Maybe viewers picture themselves as the rescuer riding in to save the day, or perhaps the fear itself is what does it for them. Either way, it's not a scenario we'd wish on anyone in real life.

4. Kleptolagnia

Mix thievery with sexual arousal and you land on kleptolagnia, sometimes called kleptophilia. People with this fetish get turned on both by stolen objects themselves and by the act of stealing them, usually smaller items that are easier to swipe.

Underwear is a frequently stolen item, and sex toys probably rank up there too, though the stolen object doesn't need to be sexual at all. One expert notes that the item may need some personal significance to its original owner for the theft itself to feel sexually gratifying to the kleptophile.

Some fetishists go as far as masturbating using these stolen items — hopefully sticking to nonporous materials for hygiene's sake. More on masturbation here.

5. Chremastistophilia

Psychologist Dr. Mark Griffiths has written about chremastistophilia, a fetish related to the one above. This describes arousal from being robbed, held up, or otherwise relieved of one's belongings — sometimes extending to being deceived or conned by a romantic partner. In certain variations, the fetishist is aroused specifically by being forced to pay for sex — essentially the mirror image of prostitution.

Because this fetish touches on the idea of coerced sexual encounters, it pairs naturally with dominance/submission dynamics or rougher play. It also lends itself well to consensual roleplay with a partner — some even call this the "hold-up" kink. If it appeals to you, have your partner stage a scenario where you're forced to hand over cash or jewelry in exchange for sex, particularly sex involving edging.

Ultimately, anything "taken" from you in the scene can be returned afterward, so no one actually loses anything. Though for an added dose of realism, some couples let the partner genuinely keep whatever was "stolen."

6. Hybristophilia

If genuine criminal behavior turns you on even more than being robbed or coerced into paying for sex, you might be dealing with hybristophilia — arousal tied to people who've committed crimes, often serious ones like assault, homicide, or even cannibalism. Some call this Bonnie and Clyde syndrome, since a criminally-inclined couple might enjoy an intensely charged sex life together, right up until the handcuffs come out.

It can be baffling to imagine anyone finding someone like Charles Manson — infamous for founding a cult and orchestrating the murder of actress Sharon Tate — attractive, yet this fetish is exactly what explains that phenomenon. Fetishists of this type are often drawn to a specific category of offender. HuffPost has covered hybristophilia in depth, exploring why people become infatuated with serial killers specifically.

Several theories try to explain the appeal, from the criminal projecting raw power or a "bad boy" persona, to a perceived need for nurturing, almost maternal care. Women who struggle to form healthy romantic attachments seem especially prone to fixating on figures like Manson, using fan correspondence as a substitute for genuine intimacy.

7. Eproctophilia

We could fill pages describing fetishes centered on things most people find outright repulsive rather than merely taboo. Eproctophilia is a prime example — arousal triggered by another person's flatulence. One Reddit thread suggests even teenagers report experiencing this. One user described her fixation on "a hot boy ripping some sick farts," along with fantasies involving being made to inhale someone else's gas.

That particular forum has well over a dozen threads dedicated to the topic, and there's even a HuffPost piece covering it.

8. Objectum Sexualis

Most people direct their attraction toward other people, but that's not universal. There's a specific term for those who experience genuine sexual attraction to inanimate objects. It must be common enough to warrant an entire support community — there's a website built specifically to support people with this experience, connecting objectophiles worldwide while also educating the friends and family of those who identify this way.

9. Acrotomophilia

This fetish might resonate with car crash survivors or veterans missing a limb or other body part. There's a related fetish for people who wish to become an amputee themselves, but acrotomophilia specifically centers on being attracted to people who are already missing part of their body. In extreme cases, some pursue elective surgery to remove a body part, either to satisfy their own fetish or a partner's.

Acrotomophilia often overlaps with body integrity identity disorder (BIID) — a condition where people genuinely believe they'd be better off without certain limbs, sometimes even feeling those body parts don't truly belong to them.

10. Forniphilia

By comparison, forniphilia is relatively tame. This fetish involves using a person as literal furniture. Having your partner hold a table pose for your wine glass over an extended period fits comfortably within BDSM practice, and arguably looks less absurd than Kim Kardashian's well-known photoshoot in similar territory. There's genuine intimacy in being close enough to use a partner this way, or in teasing them mercilessly while they hold character.

Common forniphilia roles include:

• Functioning as a footstool
• Standing in as a table
• Serving as a human candle holder
• Posing as a stationary lamp or other decorative object

There's even one especially striking variation involving piercings strung with taut cord to form a human harp.

11. Air Freshener

Some fetishes are weird, and then there's this one. One Reddit user described becoming aroused as a teen whenever he entered a room scented with one particular brand of air freshener. After some reflection, he suspected the association traced back to the first time he watched porn. Others report similar arousal tied to perfume samples once tucked inside Playboy magazine.

Smell clearly plays a bigger role in arousal and seduction than we often give it credit for. Let's just hope this guy doesn't have an awkward reaction the next time he walks into a stranger's home using the same air freshener.

12. Inflatophilia

Did you know inflatable suits that puff up into giant balls are an actual product category? And that the market for them exists largely to serve people with this specific fetish? Inflatophilia might explain why those inflatable sheep are so widely available — not purely as novelty gifts or frat house props, but because someone out there is genuinely using Dolly for more than laughs.

There's a related fetish involving balloons, too — enthusiasts call themselves "looners."

13. Yiffing

The internet has connected fetishists of every stripe, and furries often top the list of "weirdest," even among fellow kinksters. Not every furry sexualizes their fursona, but some do, engaging in what's called yiffing — sexual activity between two people dressed and roleplaying as their animal personas. This sometimes involves dildos shaped like animal genitalia. Either way, here's hoping these enthusiasts have a reliable dry cleaner for those costumes afterward.

14. Glasses Fetishism

A well-chosen pair of glasses can make someone look sharper and more intelligent, which might partly explain the general appeal of bespectacled people. This fetish takes that a step further, requiring glasses — even purely cosmetic ones — to reach arousal or orgasm at all. There's an entire porn subgenre built around this, typically featuring women in glasses, with money shots specifically aimed at the lenses.

The fetish extends to sunglasses and even contacts in some cases, and it appears especially prevalent in Japan. It's alive in the U.S. too — one man reportedly stole thousands of dollars in eyewear driven by this exact fetish.

15. Dacryphilia

Rounding out the list is a fetish tied to tears and crying. As the name implies, watching someone cry can be a powerful arousal trigger for people with this fetish. Unsurprisingly, this dovetails neatly with BDSM dynamics or certain forced-scenario fantasies.

A fetish isn't inherently harmful, nor does it have to negatively affect someone's sexuality or wellbeing. That said, reducing a person to a single fetishized trait and valuing them purely for that reason is worth avoiding. After all, would anyone want to be desired solely because they're missing a limb, or because of excessive body hair? Being fetishized this way can leave people feeling like oddities, even though they're the very thing driving someone else's arousal.

If there's one real takeaway from this rundown of unusual fetishes, it's that virtually every kink, no matter how strange, has an audience willing to explore it. Some people even find satisfaction in helping others fulfill their fetishes — practically a fetish of its own.

November 20, 2020