possessed by

Idioms  

1. Driven by, obsessed with, as in He was possessed by the idea of becoming a millionaire. This idiom employs possess in the sense of “dominate one's thoughts or ideas,” a usage dating from the late 1500s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

possessed by

If a person in the diocese comes to fear that they or their loved one has been bodily possessed by a demon, the diocese launches an investigation involving medical, psychological, and psychiatric testing.

From Slate ● Jun. 8, 2026

Officials have warned that existing systems have not kept pace with increasingly sophisticated weapons possessed by potential adversaries.

From BBC ● May 12, 2026

In fourth place with $5.6 million was "Lee Cronin's The Mummy," an original horror flick from Warner Bros about a young girl possessed by a demon in an ancient mummification ritual.

From Barron's ● Apr. 26, 2026

When Ben Rosenfeld started working as a residential assistant at a Stanford University dorm, he encountered 77 freshmen possessed by an “all-consuming” force.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 10, 2026

“Aw, Ma, don’t you-all worry none,” he said, amazed at his own words; he was possessed by a queer, imperious nervous energy.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright