Just like there is nyctophilia for the love of darkness, I was hoping for a word that can come close to summarizing love of nightmares and dark, macabre things.
Any clues?
asked Sep 24, 2016 at 10:38
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1Single word requests should provide an example sentence about the way the word will be used.– k1eranCommented Sep 25, 2016 at 7:31
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3 Answers
adjective
suggesting an unhealthy mental state or attitude; unwholesomely gloomy, sensitive, extreme, etc.: a morbid interest in death.
gruesome; grisly.
Goth (noun) Gothic (adj.)
a style of rock music derived from punk, typically with apocalyptic or mystical lyrics.a member of a subculture favouring black clothing, white and black make-up, and goth music.
— Google's dictionary.
Wikipedia's Goth subculture article covers music, fashion, literature and more, e.g.
Gothic literature is a genre of fiction that combines romance and dark elements to produce mystery, suspense, terror, horror and the supernatural
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I think it's safe to say that this is not apposite. Goth/Gothic involves a whole subculture, as pointed out in the definition which you cited. It is much more profound, involving and being based on other things than fondness of morbidness. I think Taxidiotis proposition is more fitting. Commented Sep 25, 2016 at 7:24
Phobophilia, which literally translates to "love of fear," from phobo meaning fear and philia meaning love, would fit in nicely. A person who loves the disturbing and horrifying, then, may be known as a phobophile.
Exercising his phobophilia, Justin decided to help the Exorcist increase its box office take.