obsess

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verb ob·sess \ əb-ˈses , äb- \

Definition of obsess

transitive verb

:to haunt or excessively preoccupy the mind of

was obsessed with the idea

She was obsessed with her car.

intransitive verb

:to engage in obsessive thinking :become obsessed with an idea

He's always obsessing over money.

See obsess defined for English-language learners

See obsess defined for kids

Examples of obsess in a Sentence

The war obsesses him—he talks about nothing else.
You need to stop obsessing and just deal with the problem.

Recent Examples of obsess from the Web

Mr. Durney and Mr. Rallo plan to open next month in Urby, a huge rental complex with amenities geared toward the food-obsessed: an apiary, a farm and even the occasional fermentation workshop.

— tejal rao, New York Times, "Restaurants Follow the Building Boom on Staten Island," 28 Aug. 2017
Merkel says she's not obsessed with debt, promises no new debt.

— luke kawa, Bloomberg.com, "Five Things You Need to Know to Start Your Day," 22 Aug. 2017
How did those obsessed with the past know so little of history?

— victor davis hanson, National Review, "Our War against Memory," 22 Aug. 2017
Another day, another pithy celeb feud for the internet to obsess over.

— stacey grant, Seventeen, "8 Celeb Feuds that Will Never, Ever Go Away," 14 Aug. 2017
Basu doesn’t follow professional sports, but her son, Chase, 8, is obsessed with baseball.

— janene holzberg, Howard County Times, "10 things you didn't know about Inner Arbor Trust's Nina Basu," 2 Aug. 2017
A prominent Cullman attorney was shot to death at his Vinemont home Monday night by an intruder who lawmen say was mentally ill and had been obsessed with the victim for a decade.

— carol robinson, AL.com, "Suspect killed in home invasion was mentally ill; wrongly believed slain attorney was involved in drug case," 18 July 2017
The intruder who shot and killed a prominent Alabama trial attorney at his home Monday (July 17) was mentally ill and had been obsessed with the lawyer for over a decade, AL.com reported.

— kim chatelain, NOLA.com, "Intruder who killed Alabama attorney was mentally ill: report," 18 July 2017
This is the perfect Chrome extension for anyone who is obsessed with the HBO show.

— chanel vargas, Harper's BAZAAR, "How to Avoid Game of Thrones Spoilers Tonight," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'obsess.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of obsess

Latin obsessus, past participle of obsidēre to frequent, besiege, from ob- against + sedēre to sit — more at ob-, sit

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First Known Use: 1531

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OBSESS Defined for English Language Learners

obsess

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verb

Definition of obsess for English Language Learners

: to be the only person or thing that someone thinks or talks about
: to think and talk about someone or something too much

OBSESS Defined for Kids

obsess

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verb ob·sess \ əb-ˈses \

Definition of obsess for Students

obsessed; obsessing

:to occupy the thoughts of completely or abnormally

A new scheme obsesses him.

Medical Dictionary

obsess

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transitive verb ob·sess \ əb-ˈses, äb- \

medical Definition of obsess

:to preoccupy intensely or abnormally

was obsessed with success

intransitive verb

:to engage in obsessive thinking

solve problems rather than obsess about them
—Carol Tavris

Learn More about obsess

See words that rhyme with obsess Spanish Central: Translation of obsess Nglish: Translation of obsess for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of obsess for Arabic speakers

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obsess

Definition of obsess

Examples of obsess in a Sentence

Recent Examples of obsess from the Web

Origin and Etymology of obsess

OBSESS Defined for English Language Learners

obsess

Definition of obsess for English Language Learners

OBSESS Defined for Kids

obsess

Definition of obsess for Students

Medical Dictionary

obsess

medical Definition of obsess

Learn More about obsess

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obsess

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Examples of obsess in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of obsess

OBSESS Defined for English Language Learners

obsess

Definition of obsess for English Language Learners

OBSESS Defined for Kids

obsess

Definition of obsess for Students

Medical Dictionary

obsess

medical Definition of obsess

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