infatuation

American  

[in-fach-oo-ey-shuhn] / ɪnˌfætʃ uˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

• infatuations
  plural

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.

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infatuation British  

/ 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

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• infatuations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of infatuation

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

Explanation

Infatuation is falling in love with or becoming extremely interested in someone or something for a short time. If you have an infatuation with a particular singer, you probably listen to her on repeat all day long, at least this week. If something infatuates you, it has caused you to become foolish. We say you have an infatuation when you express a crazy, extreme love of something––a person, a style, a band, anything. Infatuations usually don’t last. Like incredibly intense crushes or the stomach flu, infatuations come on strong and then get forgotten.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

infatuation infatuations

Admittedly, Hollywood’s infatuation with the festival has ebbed and flowed over the years, but 2026 seems like a rare outlier.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

A not-so-closeted homosexual, he also waxes lyrical about his infatuation with a young Yale student, played by a bottle-blonde Margaret Qualley, and shares drinks with "Charlotte's Web" author E.B.

From Barron's ● Feb. 27, 2026

By the way, Ng confirms that bald eagle infatuation is very much an American enterprise.

From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025

Mia could not help but notice her daughter’s infatuation with the Richardsons.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

The chapters are arranged like the bayts, or couplets, of a ghazal, and they describe a succession of infatuations, some romantic and some purely poetic, as in the odes to the 14th-century Persian lyricist Hafez.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025

Justine Wewers, a high school geography teacher in Minnesota’s Anoka-Hennepin district, said she has seen a wearying number of student infatuations over the years, including video games, “Uno” and fidget spinners.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 15, 2023

In an interview with Time magazine in 1987, Sondheim said that despite various infatuations, he had “never” been in love and had always lived alone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2021

It isn’t found in personal grievances or our narcissistic infatuations.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 27, 2021

In college she had harbored lengthy infatuations, with students with whom she never spoke, with professors and TAs.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• fascination
• obsession