fixate

verb

fix·​ate ˈfik-ˌsāt 

fixated; fixating

intransitive verb

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

… the tourist mind tended to fixate on ice cream cones …

—T. Coraghessan Boyle

2

: to undergo arrestment at a stage of development

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

Examples of fixate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Yamada Takayuki leads the series as Hojo, a high-flying businessman fixated on the unexplained who acts as its storyteller. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026

In that report, two CBS staffers said Weiss seemed to fixate on critical coverage of liberals but does not direct the network to give that same type of coverage to conservatives. — Daniel Strauss, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2026

The framework pushes families to think about how digital experiences fit into a teen’s overall well-being rather than fixating on a daily hour count. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026

For the past couple of months, the Editorial Board and a veritable horde of guest columnists have been fixated on the mayor and his stance on Israel. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Oct. 2026

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