infatuation

[in-fach-oo-ey-shuhn]

noun

1. the state of being infatuated.

2. the act of infatuating.

3. foolish or all-absorbing passion or an instance of this.

   a mere infatuation that will not last.

4. the object of a person's infatuation.

   When I was a kid, my infatuation was stamp collecting.

infatuation

/ ɪnˌfætjʊˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of infatuating or state of being infatuated

2. foolish or extravagant passion

3. an object of foolish or extravagant passion

Word History and Origins

Origin of infatuation¹

First recorded in 1640–50, infatuation is from the Late Latin word infatuātiōn- (stem of infatuātiō ). See infatuate, -ion

Example Sentences

Marianne is first consumed by her own infatuation, then disconsolate when Willoughby dumps her for an heiress, and finally felled by a fever.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Qian wrote poems about social responsibility, with lines such as: "We must love the elderly with the infatuation of a first romance."

Read more on BBC

It was only when I started writing and speaking about the joys of my AI coach that I began to see how my AI infatuation had affected my human relationships.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The premium could be worth it as long as AI infatuation continues.

Read more on Barron's

By then, my curiosity had become full-blown infatuation.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fascination 
• obsession 

When To Use

What does infatuation mean?

Infatuation is the state of being infatuated—being absorbed with an extreme passion for someone or something, especially in a way that makes you foolish or unreasonable about it.Infatuation 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 as 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.Much less commonly, infatuation can refer to the act of infatuating.Example: Your infatuation with him is clouding your judgment.