infatuation

noun

in·​fat·​u·​a·​tion in-ˌfa-chə-ˈwā-shən 

-chü-ˈā-

plural infatuations

1

: a feeling of foolish or obsessively strong love for, admiration for, or interest in someone or something : strong and unreasoning attachment

She speaks openly about the real-life subject of one of her songs, a conservatory teacher who is both a neighbor in her apartment building and the unwilling object of her obsessive infatuation.

—Sasha Frere-Jones

Craig Claiborne wrote about it in 1963, when he was deep in his infatuation with dill and meatballs and all things Nordic.

—Amanda Hesser

2

: the object of an unreasoning or foolish attachment

And then, I began trying to forge their autographs. I'm not sure why I did it at first, but it became an infatuation.

—Zach Selwyn

Synonyms of infatuation

• crush

Examples of infatuation in a Sentence

had a brief infatuation with the captain of the ski team

Recent Examples on the Web

The trial laid out the details of Colt’s tumultuous childhood, mental health problems and infatuation with school shooters. — Devon M. Sayers, CNN Money, 11 July 2026

In anticipation of the birth of his son, Ferguson had kicked a nagging heroin habit, trading his addiction to drugs for an infatuation with activism. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026

Under Walsh’s witty direction, all four deliver pitch-perfect comedic performances in this frothy farce, which is full of mistaken identities, exaggerated infatuations and fussy social norms. — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026

Additionally, evidence pointed to Rinderknecht’s infatuation with Luigi Mangione, the suspect facing two state cases and one federal prosecution tied to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 26 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing infatuation

• self-infatuation

Rhymes for infatuation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation