fixed idea

American  

noun

1. a persistent or obsessing idea, often delusional, that can, in extreme form, be a symptom of psychosis.

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fixed idea British  

noun

1. Also: idée fixe.  an idea, esp one of an obsessional nature, that is persistently maintained and not subject to change

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Etymology

Origin of fixed idea

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

Vallejo also dedicated three summers to the caddie program, getting up early, enduring the heat and carrying heavy bags, always with a fixed idea in mind.

From Los Angeles Times

But what’s very real about this comedy-thriller-love story, which arrives on Netflix on Friday, is that it represents the director’s continued willingness to keep trying new things, to never settle on a fixed idea of the kinds of movies he makes.

From Los Angeles Times

Getting a new view on someone I had such a fixed idea of who or want he was, and this is a way of understanding that.

From Salon

But “love of my life” is a fixed idea, and people are fluid, updating themselves over time.

From Washington Post

“There was a fixed idea that politics is for adults, according to a long-established Confucian culture,” said Noh Woong-rae, 64, a member of the National Assembly.

From New York Times

Related Words

• craving
• craze
• craziness
• enthusiasm
• fad
• fascination
• frenzy
• infatuation
• lunacy
• obsession
• passion
• rage