List of Kinks: Definitions of The Most Common & Popular Kinks (100+)

Are you tired of your vanilla sex life? If you ever felt shamed by having a dirty little secret about what turned you on as long as decades ago. Nowadays, it is likely for you to get teased about being a “dead bed”.

Like it or not, times have changed, so have we.

Though once considered mentally deviant, in recent years, sexual subcultures - kink, fetishism, and BDSM have become accepted by society widely than ever before, and many sex researchers believe that these unconventional sexual practices have no association with psychiatric disorders. In fact, they are far more common than we think. A recent study published in the Journal of Sex Research finds that one in three people in the US has taken part in one, at least once in their lives. Due to advances in research and clinical practice, and major shifts in social attitudes, fetishism has been taken off from the “sick list” of the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2018.

For most people who are into kinky sex, a kink or a fetish is just an unusual form of one’s sexual expression as long as it is “safe, sane, and consensual” and it doesn’t cause any distress or impairment to anyone. Needless to say, if practiced properly, a kink or a fetish will spice up your sex life and establish a stronger sexual bond between the partners; what is even more, it might be correlated with better mental health.

Dive into the world of kinks, you will be ashamed of your imaginative poverty, because, one thing you may consider absurd or bazaar, happens to be appealing to another person.

There are many websites about the list of kinks or fetishes, many of them are merely a roundup of psychiatric terminology. It is easy to get confused and misguided if you don’t know where to draw a line between unusual sexual interests and mental disorders. If you have thoroughly understood your kinks after checking out our kink list, you can go to the largest kinky dating app KinkD to find like-minded people.

Definitions of Kink, Fetish, and Paraphilic Disorder

Kink is an unconventional sexual taste or behavior. A kink can turn you on, but you don’t necessarily need it for sexual fulfillment.

Fetish is a condition in which you have a strong sexual fixation with a particular inanimate object or non-genital body part, and you can’t get turned on or orgasm without it. The object or body part getting you off is called a fetish.

Paraphilia is a psychiatric term for ‘kink”, referring to any atypical and non-normative sexual behavior by which you will get sexual arousal and gratification. Fetishism is a category of paraphilia.

Paraphilic disorder: you may have a paraphilia, but not meet the criteria for a paraphilic disorder unless it causes

1. psychological distress/injury/death to anyone or it

2. involving unwilling persons or persons unable to give legal consent.

Put it this way, it is the human right to have an unusual sexual taste, but any kink is with the possibility of a diagnosis of paraphilic disorder.

So, stay conscious and play wisely!

Subcategories of Kinks

In fact, there is no such thing as “a complete list of kinks.” Generally speaking, you can have a kink for everything. Therefore, instead of simply listing them in alphabetical order, we’ve classified most of the common kinks into some major categories based on their nature and the degree of risks.

Kinks for inanimate objects (fetishism)

Agalmatophilia - a sexual attraction for human-like statues, dolls, mannequins. This differs from Pygmalionism, which refers to an attraction to items of one’s own creation.
Altocalciphilia - sexually turned on by high heels, usually worn by women but not always.
Balloons Fetish - sexual arousal from balloons which often involves inflation of one’s body part by inserting balloons underneath clothes.
Belonephilia - sexual arousal to sharp items, such as needles, pins, razors.
Corsetry - wearing a corset to change one’s body shape.
Diaper Fetish - sexual arousal from diapers and/or the use of it. It is usually incorporated into infantilism, scat, watersports, humiliation, and dominance.
Fire Play - any sexual practice involving fire.
Food Play - any sexual practice involving food. This may mean using someone as a dish or table, covering your partner’s body with food, and licking it off (think whipped cream or chocolate sauce, but you can get creative!).
Keraunophilia - sexual arousal from thunder and lightning.
Kigurumi - a sexual attraction to the wearing of a cosplay costume or anime mask.
Knife Play - a practice of running a knife or a blade along your partner to enhance sexual gratification.
Mechanophilia - a sexual attraction to machines and/or doing a sex act in/on a certain type of a machine, such as cars, washing machines, androids, etc.
Pygmalionism - sexual attachment with a human-like creation of one’s own work, e.g. rubbing oneself against a statue.
Plushophilia - a sexual attraction to stuffed animals or soft toys. In order to have sexual interactions with their toys, people modify their plushies with a hole or holes.
Retifism - sexual arousal to shoes or other footwear.
Robotism - sexual arousal to robots, aroused by using a robot in a sex act.
Ropework - a sexual obsession with rope, especially in the context of bondage in BDSM.
Siderodromophilia - sexual arousal to trains or riding in trains.
Stigmatophilia - sexually aroused by piercings and tattoos, especially in genitals and/or nipples.
Stockings - sexual arousal to the wearing of stockings.
Strap-on - sexual arousal to wearing strap-on for anal, oral or vaginal penetration.
Technophilia - a sexual attraction to technology, such as cyborgs, robots, mechas, and sex machines.
Tentacles - a sexual obsession with tentacles which is usually a fictional creature and depicted in porn or erotic animation.
Thesauromania - a sexual obsession with a collection of women's clothing, especially underwear.
Underwear - a sexual obsession with underwear that usually involves a man who likes to smell, wear or collect women’s underwear.
Uniforms - sexually aroused by seeing your partner wearing a certain type of uniform.
Wax play - a form of temperature play in BDSM that applies wax to stimulate a slight burning sensation to the skin.
Weapon fetish - sexual arousal to weapons.
Wet and messy (WAM) fetish - sexually aroused by the act of applying wet, slime, and messy substances other than bodily fluids to the naked skin or clothes. Also known as sploshing.
Xylophilia - sexual arousal to wood.
Yeastiality - sexual arousal to baked food which has risen with yeast, such as bread, pastry, and especially warm dough. People with this obsession are also attracted by partners with yeast infection as applying yeast to the genitals can lead to an infection.

Kinks for living beings (non-human)

Dendrophilia - sexually attracted to trees.
Formicophilia - sexually turned on by being crawling upon or nibbled by insects, such as ants, cockroaches, etc.
Zoophilia - sexual arousal or sexual preference for non-human animals. It is NOT the actual act of having sex with animals. Only having erotic feelings or fantasies involving animals is not against the law.

Kinks for body parts

Acomoclitic - a sexual attraction to hairless genitals.
Armpits Fetish - sexual arousal from smelling, licking, or kissing armpits.
Cock and/or ball Fetish - a sexual obsession with cocks and balls.
Foot Fetish - a sexual obsession with the foot.
Macrogenitalism - a sexual attraction to huge genitals.
Nasolingus - sexual arousal to licking and/or sucking someone’s nose.
Nasophilia - sexual arousal to noses.
Oculolinctus - sexual arousal from licking eyeballs.
Oculophilia - sexual arousal to eyes.
Odontophilia - a sexual obsession with teeth, e.g. licking your partner’s teeth or biting them with your teeth.
Partialism - a sexual obsession for a specific part of the body, such as feet, breasts, hair, etc.
Quirofilia - sexual arousal to hands. It could be an obsession with a certain shape of hands, or part of hands, such as fingers, fingernails, or simply doing a certain action with hands, e.g. washing dishes with hands.
Trichophilia - a sexual obsession with human hair, most commonly head hair, people with this kink or fetish get arousal from viewing, touching, or in some extreme cases eating hair.

Kinks for bodily excretion

Golden Showers - any sex act involving urine, it is also known as ” watersports”
Hematolagnia - sexual arousal from blood. It usually involves drinking, licking, looking at blood through bloodletting, or biting.
Menophilia - sexual arousal from menstrual blood.
Mysophilia - sexually turned on by smelling or tasting items soiled with human fluids during sex, such as an undergarment or used tampon.
Olfactophilia - sexual arousal by smells and odors emanating from the body, especially the sexual area.
Scatophilia -sexual arousal to feces, it is also called “coprophilia”.
Vomit - sexual arousal from vomiting or substance of vomit.

Kinks for a particular type of partner

Allorgasmia - sexual arousal from fantasizing about having sex with someone else other than your current partner.
Anonymous Sex - a practice of having sex with someone that you are not aware of his/her identity, e.g. glory hole.
Gerontophilia - sexual preference for the elderly.
Hybristophilia - a sexual attraction to someone who is known to have “committed an outrage or crime, such as rape, murder, or armed robbery.” In some cases, the person who is the focus of sexual desire is someone who has been imprisoned. In some cases, the hybristophilia may urge and coerce their partner to commit a crime.
Macro Fetish - a sexual attraction to beings larger than themselves in the context of sexual fantasy, e.g. a man with Marco fetish would be aroused by the fantasy of being abused, degraded, or eaten by a giantess.
Maiesiophilia - sexually turned on by pregnant women or the act of giving birth.
Micro Fetish -a sexual attraction to being small or doing the sex act with small partners.
Morphophilia - a sexual attraction to partners with a certain type of body characteristics (e.g., shape, size, skin, and hair color) that are different from one’s own, such as fat people, amputees, and dwarves.
Parthenophilia - sexual preference for virgins, especially girls with delayed puberty. Fantasy is ok, the actual act may constitute a crime!
Savantophilia - sexual arousal to people who are cognitively impaired or developmentally delayed.
Somnophilia - sexual fascination with sleeping or unconscious individual. Also known as “sleeping beauty syndrome”.
Teratophilia - a sexual attraction to monsters or deformed people.
Xenophilia - a sexual attraction to that which is unknown or different from one’s native experiences, e.g. a sexual desire for aliens and mutants.

Kinks for setting (places)

Acrophilia - sexually excited by heights, or doing sex acts at great heights.
Actirasty - sexual arousal from sun exposure. It is often associated with sexual arousal to engaging in sexual activities outdoors.
Agoraphilia - preference for having sex in public places or outdoors, it is illegal to practice in most parts of the world.
Aquaphilia - a sexual attraction to water, places with water, and activities underwater.
Claustrophilia - sexually aroused by confinement in small, enclosed spaces.
Imprisonment - sexual arousal from being confined to a certain area or place, such as a cage.
Intoxication - sexual preference for taking drugs or drinking alcohol before or during a sex act.
Nyctophilia - sexual preference for being in the dark or night.
Psychrophilia - a sexual obsession with the cold or watching someone being frozen.
Telephonicophilia - sexual arousal from talking about sexual and erotic matters over the phone.

Kinks for physical pain (damage)

Acrotomophilia - sexually aroused by amputees (legs or arms).
Apotemnophilia - sexual arousal from having your own limbs amputated.
Castration - sexually aroused by removal of male testicles, in fact, it is an extremely dangerous practice, most likely it is only the thought or fantasy of castration that arouses people.
Feederism - sexual arousal from feeding oneself or another with the intention of gaining weight or increasing body size.
Masochism - physically or psychologically suffering pain or humiliation for sexual gratification.
Needle Play - sexually turned on by piercing, scratching the skin with needles.
Nullification - sexually turned on by removal of a body part.
Nullo - sexually turned on by removal of genitals.
Odaxelagnia - sexually aroused by biting or being bitten.
Sadism - sexual arousal from inflicting physical or psychological pain and/or humiliation on others.
Symphorphilia - sexual arousal from watching car accidents or other traumatic incidents.
Urtication - a practice of applying stinging nettles to stimulate the skin for sexual gratification.
Vaccinophilia - sexually aroused by getting vaccinated.

Kinks for role play/scenario

Age play - a form of roleplay between adults in which both parties act at different ages, e.g. infantilism, DDLG.
Aliens - a fantasy about having sex with aliens which often happens in an abduction or forced scenario.
Impregnation - sexually turned on by the possibility of getting pregnant during unprotected vaginal intercourse for both parties.
Infantilism - a form of roleplay in which one participant acts like an infant or baby, the other one plays a parental role.
Medical Play - a medical-themed roleplay in which sexual partners use medical equipment and wear uniforms to take on relevant roles in that scenario.
Pet Play - a kink in which one person dresses and acts like a pet.
Pony Play - a kink for dressing up and acting like a pony.
Puppy Play - a type of roleplay in which one takes on the role of a puppy.
Harpaxophilia - sexual arousal from being the victim of a robbery.
Phygephilia - a sexual thrill from being a fugitive on the run.
Vampire - sexual fascination with a vampire or role-play of a vampire.

Kinks for a particular sex act

Anal Sex - a practice of inserting penis, fingers, or sex toys into the anus for sexual pleasure.
1. Enemas - a practice of injecting fluid into the rectum to empty bowel. It is also used in preparation for anal play.
2. Pegging - woman-on-man anal sex in which a woman penetrates a male with a strap-on.
3. Rimming - an oral-to-anal sexual practice in which one person stimulates another person by licking, kissing, sucking their anus.
Barebacking - having sex without wearing a condom. Note that, it is dangerous as it will lead to STI transmission or pregnancy.
Body Painting - sexual arousal to the act of painting bodies.
Clothed Sex - sexual preference for having sex with clothes on,
Cross-dressing - dressing like your opposite gender which involves clothing, accessories, makeup, and wigs.
Crush fetish - sexual arousal to the act of crushing, it typically involves watching or performing the crushing of small insects, animals, or food.
Dacryphilia - sexual arousal to seeing tears or crying.
Double Penetration - penetration of a woman’s vagina and anus by penises or sex toys at the same time.
Figging - inserting a peeled ginger root into someone’s anus or vagina to generate a burning sensation.
Fisting - penetrating a hand into a virginal or ass.
Impact Play - a form of BDSM practice in which one hits another for sexual pleasure, such as spanking.
1. Caning - beating someone with a cane to get sexual pleasure.
2. Flogging - hitting someone with particular implements such as lashes, whips, switches, rods, etc.
3. Spanking - sexually aroused by spanking or being spanked. The act of spanking is usually done with your bare hands, whips, paddles, or other implements.
Internal Cumshots - a sex act of ejaculating into a female’s vagina.
Intercrural or Interfemoral Sex - thrusting between someone’s thighs without penetration.
Lactation - sexual pleasure from breastfeeding, it could be watching women lactate, sucking on women’s milk-filled breasts, and/or having sex with lactating women.
Pictophilia - sexual arousal to watching porn, especially of the same act or actor.
Revving - sexual arousal from seeing someone (usually a female) rev an engine, especially when they wear stockings or high-heels. Also known as “car cranking” or “pedal pumping.”
Sensation Play - a practice of stimulating body senses to heighten sexual gratification, it usually includes the use of silk scarves, feathers, ice, massage oils, and other similar implements. Unlike BDSM play which is about suffering and power exchange, sensation play is pleasing and light for both vanilla and kinksters.
1. Knismolagnia - sexually aroused by tickling or being tickled as it will trigger some of the same muscles as orgasms.
2. Zentai - sexual preference for wearing skin-tight suits that cover you from head to toe in a sex act. People with this preference get aroused by the feeling of being anonymous and/or the hugging sensation of being in tight suits.
Sensory Deprivation - sex act that removes or reduces body senses, e.g. blindfolds used for blocking eyesight.
1. Blindfolds - sexual preference for wearing a blindfold when having sex.
Pecattiphilia - sexual arousal from doing something considered sinful by your religion, e.g. any conduct of the seven deadly sins.

Kinks for Restriction

Amaurophilia - sexual preference for not being able to see during sex, i.e. turning off the lights or blindfolding a partner.
Bondage - restraining someone or tying them up to arouse sexual gratification for both parties.
Breath play - a practice of limiting breath for sexual gratification.
Choking - restricting one’s breathing and blood supply to the brain by applying pressure to the carotid arteries with hands, a scarf, or a chokehold.
Gags - a device that is put over or in somebody’s mouth to stop them from speaking. Gags are usually associated with role plays involving bondage, but that is not necessarily the case.
Hypoxia - a rare form of autoerotic asphyxiation in which a person gets aroused by the effect of oxygen deprivation when being submerged underwater. This can be fatal.
Japanese Bondage - a form of bondage originated in Japan. It is called “Kinbaku” in Japanese, the term “Kin” means “tight” and “baku” means “restraint”. Unlike western bondage, it is not only for the purpose of erotic pleasure; it is more of a type of art.
Mummification - a specific type of bondage in which one participant is completely or partially wrapped in materials such as plastic wrap, bondage tape, duct tape, etc., but it can be dangerous if bindings prevent airflow.
Orgasm Control - a sexual practice of taking control over how, when, and if an orgasm will take place.
Orgasm Denial - a sexual practice in which one person is kept at a high level of sexual arousal for an extended period of time without orgasm.

Kinks for power exchange

Begging - begging to have sex or organism.
Collaring - wearing a collar or seeing others being collared to show submission to a dominant.
Discipline - a practice of training a submissive to be obedient to a dominant, punishment inflicted for a defined infraction. To know more about the Dom/sub relationship, please check out What Is Dom Sub? A Complete Guide To Dom/sub Relationship.

Kinks for humiliation

Cuckolding - a sexual obsession in which a man gets aroused by watching his female partner having sex with other men.
Degradation - a practice of sexual humiliation or abuse for gratification.
Dirty Talk - using explicit and arousing words to talk about sexual activity.
Face Sitting - a sex act whereby one person sits on another person’s face for pleasure, both parties could be anyone of any gender identity or sexuality.
Face Slapping - sexually turned on by slapping someone’s face or being face-slapped.
Penis Humiliation - a kink involving insulting a man’s penis, including size, appearance, and performance.
Queening - a sex act in which a woman sits on her partner’s face for pleasure.

Kinks for exposing/ being exposed sexually

Agrexophilia - sexually aroused by having other people know about your sexual activities. This includes having sex in public places, playing your sex video online, or bragging about your conquests.
Exhibitionism - sexual preference for having sex or being naked in front of other people. Be careful, this could be illegal!
Katoptronophilia - sexual arousal from doing a sexual activity in front of a mirror, such as having sex, masturbating, etc.
Mixophilia - sexual arousal from watching others (with their consent and knowledge) or yourself doing sex acts, e.g., having sex in front of a mirror.
Voyeurism - sexual arousal from spying on people being naked or engaged in sexual activities. Non-consensual voyeurism may be against the law.
Vicarphilia - sexual arousal from hearing narratives about other people’s (sexual) activities, experiences, and behaviors.

Kinks for multiple sex partners

Group Sex - a sexual activity that involves more than two participants. It occurs between people of all sexual orientations and genders.
Polyiterophilia - sexual preference for group sex.
Triolism - sexual arousal to threesomes. This may include watching your partner have sex with someone else.

Kinks for sexual orientation

Andromimetophilia - a sexual attraction to females who dress or act like men, or female-to-male transsexuals.
Autoandrophilia - a biological female gets aroused by the idea of becoming a male.
Lesbophilia - a fetishistic fascination (typically in non-lesbians) with lesbians and erotic contact between women.
Yaoi - sexual arousal to male-on-male sexuality in anime, manga, or fan fiction. Aimed at a female audience, not a gay male.

Extremes You Should Never Think about!!

Do Not Let Your Kinks Become CRIMEs!

It's important to know that sexual preference and sexual behavior are different. It is acting on an extreme interest which constitutes a crime, instead of having a sexual preference.

Bestiality - the act of having sex with non-human animals.
Hybristophilia - behaviors involving sexual activity with someone who is known to have “committed an outrage or crime, such as rape, murder, or armed robbery.”
Necrophilia - behaviors involving sexual activity with human corpses.
Necrozoophilia - the act of killing animals in order to have sex with their dead bodies.
Pedophilia - behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or children - generally age 13 years or younger.
Raptophilia - the act of committing rape in order to get sexual gratification, it is also called “biastophilia”.
Snuff - the act of killing or being killed for sexual gratification. It is believed that it is only an urban legend, but there are films about real people being tortured and killed on the internet which is extremely brutal and illegal in practice.
Vore/Vorarephilia - the act of eating someone while they are still alive or being eaten in order to get sexual gratification. It is incredibly dangerous and illegal in practice.