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.

---

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

---

obsession Cultural  

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

---

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

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

During my first watch, I thought this would be a run-of-the-mill, substandard thriller: Establish the characters, ramp up the obsession, throw a little violence in.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

What’s going on with the obsession with reviving archaic occupations, like learning from artisans fixing old shoes?

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

That behaviour addiction was observed by one mother, who told BBC News NI ofhow her daughter, now 15, developed an "obsession" with her smartphone and social media.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

So on his new record, “Octane,” the Houston rapper recenters his car obsession and turns to his need for speed as sonic inspiration.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The Greeks had learned about zero because of their obsession with the night sky.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

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