obsession

American  

[uhb-sesh-uhn] / əbˈsɛʃ ən /

noun

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. 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

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

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”; obsess ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

What makes the album a timeless classic are its catchy melodies; shrewd arrangements that caught the culture’s disco obsession; and Mr. Scaggs’s earthy, confessional lyrics and intimate voice.

From The Wall Street Journal

This is where our growing obsession with achieving optimal sleep—an issue that researchers call orthosomnia—becomes harmful.

From The Wall Street Journal

That explains investors’ obsession with the Federal Reserve and what its next moves might be.

From The Wall Street Journal

Colonizing Mars is an obsession among certain space geeks.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s a pleasure to sit with Amy Tan as she sketches and watches her way to an obsession about the birds in her Marin County backyard.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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