obsess
Americanverb (used with object)
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obsesses,
present (3rd person singular)
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obsessed,
past participle, past
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obsessing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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obsesses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
obsessed,
past participle, past
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obsessing
present participle
verb
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(tr; when passive, foll by with or by) to preoccupy completely; haunt
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(intr; usually foll by on or over) to worry neurotically or obsessively; brood
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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obsesssimple
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obsessessimple
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have obsessedperfect
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has obsessedperfect
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am obsessingprogressive
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are obsessingprogressive
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is obsessingprogressive
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have been obsessingperfect progressive
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has been obsessingperfect progressive
Past
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obsessedsimple
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had obsessedperfect
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was obsessingprogressive
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were obsessingprogressive
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had been obsessingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of obsess
1495–1505; < Latin obsessus, past participle of obsidēre to occupy, frequent, besiege, equivalent to ob- ob- + -sid ( ēre ) combining form of sedēre to sit 1
Explanation
If you obsess about something, you constantly think about it, like kids who obsess about their grades so much, they get upset before every test. Obsess comes from the Latin word obsessus, which means to besiege, the way obsessive thoughts can besiege, or attack, your mind. You can obsess about something, like the tiny spot on your shoes that no one can even see, or be obsessed, or haunted or preoccupied by something. For example, the memory of a big, delicious dinner could obsess a hungry man.
Vocabulary lists containing obsess
"Sisters" by Raina Telgemeier
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Counting by 7s
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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:
We obsess over Kobe as the standard when it comes to training, but people forget he was a human.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
The investment implication of this new research is that long-term investors need not obsess about demographic projections when picking countries in which to invest.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
The number of eggs you have stored can become another health metric to obsess over.
From Slate ● Aug. 29, 2026
Edgelords, of course, are too nonchalant to obsess.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
We did get to rest up a bit before the meet, but by then I’d started to obsess over my routines in a way that’s never good for me.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
Alongside scenes where Guardiola obsesses over tactics, there are many where he gives candid speeches and berates his team.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
While everyone obsesses over what happens to oil flows in the Strait of Hormuz, a solar-power revolution is under way in some emerging countries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
Which means stock prices themselves — the thing everyone obsesses over — contribute about as much to your wealth as the participation trophy you got in Little League.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2025
While Henry tries to resist the dark forces running riot inside him, Patty obsesses about finding the mother who abandoned her, or so she’s been led to believe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2025
For now his uneasiness was verging on that species of superstitious inquietude which at times obsesses all gamblers, and which is known as a “hunch.”
From The Dark Star by William Dodge Stevens
So, how has an island perched off Australia's northern tip become so obsessed with the sport?
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
I’m obsessed with them all, both as a model for my future self and also the person I’d like to be right now—effortless, serene, perfect.
From Slate ● Oct. 11, 2026
David Chase is obsessed with “The Twilight Zone.”
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026
Showalter and Antosca draw out the “Persona”-esque qualities of the story as Lowen, while finding herself drawn to Jeremy, becomes absolutely obsessed with Verity, or the idea of her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Some people were concerned about their futures, but many others became obsessed with the present and held a never-ending parade of sports competitions, beauty contests, parties, talent shows, and dances.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
That was a bit bleak, but obsessing over it won’t change anything.
From Slate ● Oct. 13, 2026
But at Constellation, there are stalwarts of the AI safety community who have spent more than a decade obsessing over it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Telluride attendees spent days obsessing over what movie would screen as the Sunday surprise premiere, and the unceasing speculation felt like it could only result in a letdown.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
“I still have anxieties, but tending to the aging animals keeps me from obsessing over things that don’t matter. My pony, Cliff, is 38. Every day I have with him is a gift. It’s grounding.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
I spent the next week obsessing about whether or not he would contact me.
From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli
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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.
