infatuate

[in-fach-oo-eyt, in-fach-oo-it, -eyt]

verb (used with object)

infatuated, infatuating 

1. to inspire or possess with a foolish or unreasoning passion, as of love.

2. to affect with folly; make foolish or fatuous.

adjective

1. infatuated.

noun

1. a person who is infatuated.

infatuate

verb

1. to inspire or fill with foolish, shallow, or extravagant passion

2. to cause to act foolishly

adjective

1. an archaic word for infatuated

noun

1. literary,  a person who is infatuated

Other Word Forms

• infatuator noun
• self-infatuated adjective
• uninfatuated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of infatuate¹

1425–75; late Middle English < Latin infatuātus, past participle of infatuāre. See in- ², fatuous, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of infatuate¹

C16: from Latin infatuāre, from _in- ² + fatuus _fatuous

Example Sentences

Its version of Emilia Harcourt is a sturdy Aryan girl who only wears jewel tones and skirts and is infatuated with Chris.

Read more on Salon

He had always been infatuated with movies and movie stars.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Its rollout led with “Ace Trumpets” and the infatuating “So Be It.”

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But seeing it floundering in a glittering blue void quickly infatuated the internet.

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As she stood just yards from the accused, she told the jury that 14-year-old Caroline was "infatuated" with O'Brien, who was 18 at the time.

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Related Words

• animate 
• attract 
• beguile 
• bewitch 
• charm 
• delight 
• enamor 
• enchant 
• engage 
• engross 
• enrapture 
• enthrall 
• entice 
• excite 
• intoxicate 
• intrigue 
• mesmerize 
• overwhelm 
• please 
• rivet 

When To Use

What does infatuate mean?

To infatuate is to strongly affect someone in a way that causes them to be absorbed with an extreme passion, especially in a way that makes them foolish or unreasonable about it.Infatuate is especially used in a passive way—we usually say that a person is infatuated by someone or something, rather than saying that someone or something infatuates a person.The state of being infatuated is infatuation. This is often used to refer to the state of someone who has fallen in love with a person without really knowing them. But it can refer to any obsessive or passionate focus, such as on an activity or goal. A person who’s affected this way can be described with the adjective infatuated.The word infatuation can also refer to the object of this focus, as in Who’s that you’re staring at—your latest infatuation? Someone or something considered an infatuation can be described as infatuating—meaning it has the power to infatuate.Very rarely, infatuate can be used as an adjective meaning infatuated or as a noun meaning an infatuated person.Example: She’s usually infatuated by her crushes to the point that she can’t see their flaws.