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Synonyms

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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

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.

If companies beat targets and issue solid guidance, it should ease the market’s obsession with oil and set the stage for a recovery.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 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

He accused the two newspapers of subjecting him to "an endless pursuit, a campaign, an obsession with having every aspect of my life under surveillance so they could get the run on their competitors".

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Such practices can be linked to an obsession with skincare among minors, known as “cosmeticorexia,” it said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Or are they simply manifesting the worst aspects of adolescence—an obsession with conformity, group identity, and peer approval combined with an appetite for risk and sensation?

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

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.