obsess
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
-
(tr; when passive, foll by with or by) to preoccupy completely; haunt
-
(intr; usually foll by on or over) to worry neurotically or obsessively; brood
Other Word Forms
- obsessingly adverb
- obsessor noun
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
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.
It’s the least visible part of my body, yet I’ve had good reason lately to obsess about my gluteus maximus, my derrière, my whole imperfect situation back there.
From Slate • Feb. 22, 2026
But, then again, “By Design” is all about the little details — and, more specifically, how much those details matter versus how much we obsess over them.
From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026
As AI labs obsess over the amount of time people spend with their products, chatbots have become ferociously needy people pleasers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026
Many investors nevertheless obsess about this early information.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 29, 2025
People say that winter lasts forever, but it’s because they obsess over the thermometer.
From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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.
