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)
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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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Vocabulary from Golden Globe Winners
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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:
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
Where Tumblr-ites dreamed of the cloistered quads and moody libraries of Princeton in the 2010s, TikTok-ers now obsess over the elaborate rituals of University of Alabama sororities.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Both factions obsess over AI risks, and both prefer technical solutions and quiet influence over AI companies to street protests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
People say that winter lasts forever, but it’s because they obsess over the thermometer.
From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
While mothering her two teenagers, one of them newly identifies as nonbinary — “It was Laurel’s job to not make a big deal about this” — she obsesses about her husband’s questionable fidelity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Alongside scenes where Guardiola obsesses over tactics, there are many where he gives candid speeches and berates his team.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Instead, the Harvard Business School alum talks like a real-life LinkedIn post and obsesses over how many seconds it takes to serve customers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 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
Shake off this melancholy which so obsesses you.
From The Magnificent Adventure Being the Story of the World's Greatest Exploration and the Romance of a Very Gallant Gentleman by Emerson Hough
The real estate tycoon appears increasingly obsessed by his construction projects at the White House, such as his new ballroom and helipad.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
Iñárritu said he and Cruise didn’t discuss specific people when developing the title character, who wears cowboy boots with pajamas and is obsessed with his decrepit cat named Maggie.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
More: Big Tech is obsessed with smart glasses.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 26, 2026
“It was just, like, a lovable hot mess,” said Woodall, an Army kid who lived for a time in Germany, where people were obsessed with the movie.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Jamal Mamoo is obsessed with sports scores and records and is always talking about who’s the best.
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
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
We will stop obsessing over money and fighting over resources and instead organize our society around generosity and kindness.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 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
Lee Feaster said that before his son’s arrival at USC, Boobie was obsessing for months over USC’s playbook.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
Their hunger made everyone start obsessing about food.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
Definitions 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.
