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
Sasha Frere-JonesCraig Claiborne wrote about it in 1963, when he was deep in his infatuation with dill and meatballs and all things Nordic.—Amanda Hesser
Amanda Hesser2
: 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
Zach Selwyn
Examples of infatuation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The league’s long-standing discomfort with being formally associated with gambling had evaporated in recent years with the ubiquity of online gambling, and the NFL’s infatuation with London, where sports gaming is a massive industry.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
The Rambo Lambo predicted our current infatuation with not only luxe utility vehicles but also with size: Dwarfing even contemporary SUVs, the LM002 clocked in at 6.5 feet wide, almost 16 feet long, over six feet tall, and weighing nearly 6,800 pounds, including the 45-gallon fuel tank.
—The Editors, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024
Oscar winner Virginia Madsen enjoyed a recurring role in season 5 as a cousin of Maddie's (and a brief romantic infatuation of David's).
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 10 Oct. 2023
His infatuation persists despite rejection and confrontations, leading to escalating behaviors such as sending frequent text messages, stalking and even threatening one woman with a knife.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Losing himself in his infatuation with Camille, whom he's only known via security cameras planted in her and her husband's flat, Berlin orchestrates a fake meet-cute, introduces himself as Simon, and quickly, Camille falls for the bit and the two begin their steamy love affair.
—Pamela Avila, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024
Individuals with love addiction often experience intense feelings of infatuation, possessiveness and fear of abandonment.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
It is defined as a form of often unreciprocated infatuation.
—Anna Holmes, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2024
Her most personal album yet documents the life cycle of a relationship, from the wooziness of infatuation to the blur of heartbreak, and finds self-love at the end of the rainbow.
—Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024
Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
The Rambo Lambo predicted our current infatuation with not only luxe utility vehicles but also with size: Dwarfing even contemporary SUVs, the LM002 clocked in at 6.5 feet wide, almost 16 feet long, over six feet tall, and weighing nearly 6,800 pounds, including the 45-gallon fuel tank.
—The Editors, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024
Oscar winner Virginia Madsen enjoyed a recurring role in season 5 as a cousin of Maddie's (and a brief romantic infatuation of David's).
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 10 Oct. 2023
His infatuation persists despite rejection and confrontations, leading to escalating behaviors such as sending frequent text messages, stalking and even threatening one woman with a knife.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Losing himself in his infatuation with Camille, whom he's only known via security cameras planted in her and her husband's flat, Berlin orchestrates a fake meet-cute, introduces himself as Simon, and quickly, Camille falls for the bit and the two begin their steamy love affair.
—Pamela Avila, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024
Individuals with love addiction often experience intense feelings of infatuation, possessiveness and fear of abandonment.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
It is defined as a form of often unreciprocated infatuation.
—Anna Holmes, The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2024
Her most personal album yet documents the life cycle of a relationship, from the wooziness of infatuation to the blur of heartbreak, and finds self-love at the end of the rainbow.
—Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infatuation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near infatuation
Cite this Entry
“Infatuation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infatuation. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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