possessed
Americanadjective
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spurred or moved by a strong feeling, madness, or a supernatural power (often followed by by, of, orwith ).
The army fought as if possessed. The village believed her to be possessed of the devil.
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self-possessed; poised.
idioms
adjective
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(foll by of) owning or having
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(usually postpositive) under the influence of a powerful force, such as a spirit or strong emotion
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a less common word for self-possessed
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of possessed
Explanation
Someone who's possessed is completely controlled by some force. If you've ever seen a crazed sports fan screaming with joy for the winning team, you've seen a person possessed with team spirit. While possessed is the past tense of the verb possess, to have, it most often describes someone who's obsessed with something. The controlling force can be an emotion, like when your friend is possessed by her infatuation with her favorite pop star. It can also be a supernatural power or demon — possessed describes someone you believe is truly controlled by an evil spirit, or someone who just acts that way.
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.
There’s perfect pitch, and there’s whatever level of musical genius is possessed by the titular figure in “Tuner.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
One possibility was that the outer rocky planet had once possessed a thick atmosphere that was later blasted away by a collision with a massive asteroid, comet, or another large object.
From Science Daily • May 21, 2026
It would be good if Iran possessed no enriched uranium and no facilities for further enrichment.
From Slate • May 18, 2026
He had a wonderful self-deprecating humour but when game-day came he was like a man possessed.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
The muscles in the Norseman’s arm tightened, as if he’d been possessed by a demon rage.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
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.
