obsess

[uhb-ses]

verb (used with object)

1. to dominate or preoccupy the thoughts, feelings, or desires of (a person); beset, trouble, or haunt persistently or abnormally.

   Suspicion obsessed him.

   Synonyms: haunt, control, possess

verb (used without object)

1. to think about something unceasingly or persistently; dwell obsessively upon something.

obsess

/ əbˈsɛs /

verb

1. (tr; when passive, foll by with or by) to preoccupy completely; haunt

2. (intr; usually foll by on or over) to worry neurotically or obsessively; brood

Other Word Forms

• obsessingly adverb
• obsessor noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of obsess¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of obsess¹

C16: from Latin obsessus besieged, past participle of obsidēre, from ob- in front of + sedēre to sit

Example Sentences

His circle is not obsessed with fame, he says, and neither is he.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

To grab it, they rarely drink, scoff at work-life balance and are locked in a 24-7 competition to be, or appear to be, the most obsessed.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

And, really, doesn’t Dhillon have better things to do — and better ways of earning her pay — than constantly curating her social media feed, like a mean girl obsessing over likes and followers?

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Said Ebel: “He’s obsessed with being a great player. And he’s still learning. He’s still going to get better. That’s the scary thing about it.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Ironic, then, that Jay Kelly is obsessed with a dessert equally as simple and beloved as the film bearing his name — or, at least, he was.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• beset 
• consume 
• dominate 
• engross 
• grip 
• harass 
• haunt 
• infatuate 
• torment