fixated; fixating
1
: to focus or concentrate one's gaze or attention intently or obsessively
… he was fixating on the airport in the distance, trying to find the assigned runway.—
Richard L. Collins
Richard L. Collins… the tourist mind tended to fixate on ice cream cones …—T. Coraghessan Boyle
T. Coraghessan Boyle2
: to undergo arrestment at a stage of development
1
: to make fixed, stationary, or unchanging
2
: to focus one's gaze on
3
: to direct (the libido) toward an infantile form of gratification
Examples of fixate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Annie, who was abandoned by her mother, fixates on the idea of finding her once again.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Instead, all the attention will fixate on a potential rift between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Her character, Agnes, is introduced to these ideas after connecting with Peter, a Gulf War veteran who fixates on a bug problem in her hotel room as part of a larger theory about surveillance.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 5 Jan. 2026
Many New Year’s resolutions fail not because people lack motivation, but because fixating on a goal can initiate a self-defeating cycle of avoidance.
—Richard A. Friedman, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fixate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Instead, all the attention will fixate on a potential rift between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Her character, Agnes, is introduced to these ideas after connecting with Peter, a Gulf War veteran who fixates on a bug problem in her hotel room as part of a larger theory about surveillance.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 5 Jan. 2026
Many New Year’s resolutions fail not because people lack motivation, but because fixating on a goal can initiate a self-defeating cycle of avoidance.
—Richard A. Friedman, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fixate
Cite this Entry
“Fixate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fixate. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
fixate
verb
fix·ate
ˈfik-ˌsāt 
fixated; fixating
1
: to focus one's gaze on
2
: to direct (the libido) toward an infantile form of gratification
1
: to focus or concentrate one's gaze or attention
an infant with normal vision … will fixate on a light held before him—The Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association2
: to undergo arrestment at a stage of development
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share