fixate

verb

fix·​ate ˈfik-ˌsāt 

fixated; fixating

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

1

: to focus or concentrate one's gaze or attention intently or obsessively

2

: to undergo arrestment at a stage of development

Examples of fixate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some teams — Stoke in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Brentford now — might find that fixating on long throw-ins works. —Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025

But, as a girl, she was fixated on sweets for a sense of comfort and reward. —Martha Ross, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025

While headlines fixate on interest rates, the deeper risk is the vast stock of outdated buildings that no longer fit modern life. —Amachie Ackah, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025

People always kind of fixate on these things, with celebrities, with royalty, and even politicians. —Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably back-formation from fixation, in part as translation of German fixieren

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for fixate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Medical Definition

fixate

verb

fix·​ate ˈfik-ˌsāt 

fixated; fixating

transitive verb

1

: to focus one's gaze on

2

: to direct (the libido) toward an infantile form of gratification

intransitive verb

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

2

: to undergo arrestment at a stage of development