obsess
verb (used with object)
to dominate or preoccupy the thoughts, feelings, or desires of (a person); beset, trouble, or haunt persistently or abnormally.
was obsessing
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past progressiveof obsess.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Last week, while most of America was obsessing over a spy balloon, I was hunched over a piece of graph paper, pencil in hand, trying to come up with a unified theory of happiness.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 11, 2023
“Mom made me leave it because I was obsessing over the lips,” Hanalee Pervan told the New York Times.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 15, 2022
Eventually, it was obsessing over my neighbor that grew boring — trying to make dinner plans with someone who found reservations “restricting” and watching friends zone out as I complained, yet again, about him canceling.
From New York Times ● Sep. 10, 2021
“I was obsessing, watching his videos constantly,” she says of Pho’s YouTube channel, Marked Pho Life.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2021
He thought about adding an emoji and worried he was obsessing too much over tiny details.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
