fixate
Americanverb (used without object)
-
fixates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
fixated,
past participle, past
-
fixating
present participle
-
to obsessively concentrate one's attention (usually followed byon ).
Take something away from someone completely and they may fixate on it.
-
Psychoanalysis. to develop a fixation; suffer an arrest in one's emotional or sexual development.
The patient fixates in an incestuous libido cycle, seeking to reconnect with an earlier aspect of her history.
-
to stabilize or become fixed.
-
to focus the eyes on an object or point.
verb (used with object)
-
fixates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
fixated,
past participle, past
-
fixating
present participle
-
to obsessively concentrate one's attention on.
-
Psychoanalysis. to cause (one's psychosexual development) to be arrested at an early point in life.
-
to make stable or stationary; fix.
Using cement to fixate the cap on the head of the femur, while initially adding stability, has a chance of loosening in subsequent years.
-
-
to focus (the eyes) on an object or point.
The eye muscles ordinarily fixate the two eyes on a single target.
-
to focus the eyes on (an object).
-
verb
-
to become or cause to become fixed
-
to direct the eye or eyes at a point in space so that the image of the point falls on the centre (fovea) of the eye or eyes
-
psychol to engage in fixation
-
informal (tr; usually passive) to obsess or preoccupy
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
fixatesimple
-
fixatessimple
-
have fixatedperfect
-
has fixatedperfect
-
am fixatingprogressive
-
are fixatingprogressive
-
is fixatingprogressive
-
have been fixatingperfect progressive
-
has been fixatingperfect progressive
Past
-
fixatedsimple
-
had fixatedperfect
-
was fixatingprogressive
-
were fixatingprogressive
-
had been fixatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of fixate
First recorded in 1880–85; from Latin fix(us) “fixed, firm” ( see fix) + -ate 1
Explanation
If you fixate on something, you become overly focused on it or attached to it. Don't fixate on your grades — try to enjoy the process of learning! While the original 19th century meaning of fixate was "make stable," it soon came to mean "gaze upon." It was Sigmund Freud who shifted the definition to something more obsessive. His theories of psychoanalysis included the concept of fixation, an unhealthy attachment to something or someone — and fixate followed. You can fixate on small things (like a stain on your sweater) or big things (like world poverty).
Vocabulary lists containing fixate
Pride
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Prince and the Dressmaker
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
As Brave as You
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
As a result, investors shouldn’t solely fixate on the possibility of an AI slowdown.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
But to fixate on the juicy details of this wild workplace lawsuit is to miss the point, especially when we have only one side of the story.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
But Diarra’s tendency to fixate on small details and slights eventually cracked the case.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
McGinn himself was in no doubt that he was fouled by Neil El Aynaoui, but insists Scotland cannot fixate on refereeing calls.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
The Weirdos could be counted on to chew bits of their own stringy hair and fixate, non-blinking, on a dirt spot on the carpeting while a fire blazed right behind them.
From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Have any of your readers dealt with a parent in early dementia or Alzheimer’s who fixates on an old slight and reignites the conflict like it happened yesterday?
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
As a head coach who fixates on squad togetherness, was there a worry that having such a high-profile player on the margins might lead Alexander-Arnold to provide an unintentional distraction and focus of attention?
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
He fixates on bright, blinding objects while turning away from self-reflection.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
Much of the hype surrounding ube solely fixates on its aesthetics.
From Salon ● Feb. 7, 2024
Cain’s whole body goes still as he fixates on Zak.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
"Current pain medicine is fixated on ridding patients of their pain symptoms, but that's not the source of chronic pain. These data suggest that a chronic pain flare also encompasses one's identity."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026
LONDON—On the eve of becoming the world’s first trillionaire, Elon Musk was fixated on political turmoil an ocean away from SpaceX headquarters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
He was arrested and pleaded guilty to harassing Banks, who he claimed to have become fixated on as a result of internal Labour Party fall-outs while suffering from severe mental health problems.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
However, for markets that are increasingly fixated on semiconductor stocks and taking their cue from them daily, it was Musk’s comments on memory chips that captured the attention.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
The other bonobos remained fixated on the pond, but Songololo came over.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
Like I said, it’s OK to look back and wish you had done some things differently, but fixating on the past isn’t always helpful.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Like, how is the culture enriched by fixating on the musings of visibly insane posters on 4Chan?
From Slate ● May 7, 2026
The content suggested he was watching all of her appearances, fixating on what she was wearing, what she was saying, what she was doing.
From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2026
You may snigger that the fluffy haired and sequin-loving singer-songwriter is a cheesy anti-poet, fixating on such mortal lines as “No one heard at all, not even the chair.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 24, 2025
I walked to the front of the room, knowing everyone was staring at me, but fixating on the problem ahead of me.
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
