obsession

American  

[uhb-sesh-uhn] / əbˈsɛʃ ən /

noun

obsessions plural

1. the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc.

2. the idea, image, desire, feeling, etc., itself.

3. the state of being obsessed.

4. the act of obsessing.

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obsession British  

/ əbˈsɛʃən /

noun

1. psychiatry a persistent idea or impulse that continually forces its way into consciousness, often associated with anxiety and mental illness

2. a persistent preoccupation, idea, or feeling

3. the act of obsessing or the state of being obsessed

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obsession Cultural  

1. A preoccupation with a feeling or idea. In psychology, an obsession is similar to a compulsion.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonobsession
  noun
• self-obsession
  noun
• nonobsessional
  adjective
• obsessional
  adjective
• obsessionally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• obsessions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of obsession

First recorded in 1505–15; from Latin obsessiōn-, stem of obsessiō “blockade, siege,” from obsess(us) “occupied, besieged” (past participle of obsidēre “to occupy, besiege”; see obsess) + -iō -ion

Explanation

If you have an obsession, you're totally fixated on something and unhealthily devoted to it. Some common obsessions include fantasy football leagues, celebrity gossip, and Elvis memorabilia. Obsession is kind of like a passion for something that crosses the line into crazy territory. Sometimes people get so preoccupied with their obsessions that it makes them anxious or emotionally unstable. If you have an obsession with the Yankees, for example, you might go to every single game, skip work to watch spring training, paper your room with Yankees posters, and write love notes to Derek Jeter.

Example Sentences

The source further alleged, “The truth is that Pitt’s ego and obsession for control got in the way. Brad refused to work with Stoli simply because Angie chose them, not him.”

From MarketWatch • Jul. 6, 2026

While the Pokémon obsession has taken over Neto’s Netflix account and his Nintendo Switch, lucky Pikachu came about two weeks after that.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 5, 2026

Watch the video above to explore how the myth of the American cowboy became a global obsession, from the ranches of Oklahoma to a Tokyo honky-tonk.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 4, 2026

Down and down they went, their buffer all but removed, their obsession about results elsewhere in the coming days multiplying as they went.

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026

He was genuinely interested in computers, not for their own sake but for their service to a lifelong obsession: the inner workings of the stock market.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• compulsion
• delusion
• enthusiasm
• fascination
• infatuation
• mania
• passion
• phobia
• preoccupation