obsessive

adjective ob·ses·sive \ äb-ˈse-siv , əb- \

Definition of obsessive

1 a :tending to cause obsession

b :excessive often to an unreasonable degree

2 :of, relating to, or characterized by obsession :deriving from obsession

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obsessive

noun

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obsessively

adverb

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obsessiveness

noun

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Examples of obsessive in a Sentence

Many dancers are obsessive about their weight.
He is an obsessive workaholic who never stops thinking about his job.
an obsessive interest in space travel
The new therapy is supposed to help people control their obsessive thoughts.

Recent Examples of obsessive from the Web

Researchers also tried rTMS in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, tinnitus, and chronic pain.

— meredith wadman, Science | AAAS, "Brain-altering magnetic pulses could zap cocaine addiction," 29 Aug. 2017
There are reasons for his re-entry, though that's getting ahead of the story, which uses a queasy crime as a jumping-off point to spin a largely sweet, often very funny fairy tale about the perils and the sustaining pleasures of obsessive fandom.

— the new york times, NOLA.com, "'Brigsby Bear' movie review: A weird but wonderful bit of offbeat joy," 18 Aug. 2017
Since then, it has been largely replaced by more specific terminologies, like social-anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic disorder.

— cody delistraty, The Cut, "Being Neurotic May Help You Live Longer," 8 Aug. 2017
There's no need to be obsessive about it, but an action as simple as arranging your cupboards so tins are facing frontwards go a long way in making your life easier.

— sophie hines, House Beautiful, "6 Golden Rules for Decluttering Your Kitchen," 31 July 2017
Normally an obsessive crank like Lenin would never have come to power, so here is a warning about the part that chance plays in human affairs.

— nr symposium, National Review, "It’s Summer, Time to Catch Up on Your Reading — A Symposium," 31 July 2017
During the next year, obsessive fans kept close watch on Harington’s whereabouts.

— travis m. andrews, sacbee, "The real battle in ‘Game of Thrones’: A constant fight against spoilers.," 17 July 2017
Post-war guilt may play a role as Germany’s cure for its past becomes nearly as obsessive as the behavior that led to the disease in the first place.

— victor davis hanson, National Review, "Lord Ismay, NATO, and the Old-New World Order," 5 July 2017
Haylee, 21, is diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

— daniel chang, miamiherald, "Medicaid cuts in health bill threaten mental health care for Floridians," 30 June 2017

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