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.
He is obsessed with popular media and showbiz and the shabby values they embody.
From Salon
In 1972, Dea became obsessed with Stewart after hearing him sing a trio of Motown hits on an old demo tape.
Finding another body part to obsess about is key as consumers otherwise cut back on multistep skincare routines—a trend dubbed “skinimalism.”
From the moment Alloway and Lily Houghton, who wrote the play “Forbidden Fruits” is based on and cowrote the film’s screenplay, brought the material to Cody and her producing partner Mason Novick, she became obsessed.
From Los Angeles Times
“It probably makes little sense, given our lifestyle, to obsess over retirement accounts.”
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.
