obsesses; obsessed; obsessing
1
: to be the only person or thing that someone thinks or talks about
The war obsesses him—he talks about nothing else.
—usually used as (be) obsessedHe is obsessed by the war.
She was obsessed with her weight. [=she thought about her weight all the time]
She became more and more obsessed with the project.
2
informal
: to think and talk about someone or something too much
You need to stop obsessing and just deal with the problem.
—usually + about or overI'm trying to obsess less about my weight.
He's always obsessing over money.
Cite this Entry
“Obsess.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/obsess. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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