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

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

At the helm was Osbourne, who channeled the darker forces within this music with hypnotic wild-child abandon, as if he were possessed by the hellfire spirit.

From Salon • Jul. 26, 2025

“He has lost his reason and is possessed by his father’s demon,” I said in amazement.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein