as in impulsive
caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge
intrigued by the man's obsessive counting of everyday objects
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Recent Examples of obsessive
And Williams really stuck the landing by disclosing a relatable flaw: obsessive rule-following.
—
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 20 June 2025
But Ford was drawn to Orlik’s obsessive method: layer upon layer of different-colored hairlike brushstrokes, in acrylic, which together created a sense of dizzying detail.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 17 June 2025
Clinicians and patients should be alert to signs of food fear, skipping meals or obsessive tracking.
—Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Nearly half of these offenders exhibited evidence of fixation – an intense or obsessive preoccupation with an individual, activity, or idea.
—Donald J. Mihalek, ABC News, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for obsessive
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 20 June 2025
But Ford was drawn to Orlik’s obsessive method: layer upon layer of different-colored hairlike brushstrokes, in acrylic, which together created a sense of dizzying detail.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 17 June 2025
Clinicians and patients should be alert to signs of food fear, skipping meals or obsessive tracking.
—Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Nearly half of these offenders exhibited evidence of fixation – an intense or obsessive preoccupation with an individual, activity, or idea.
—Donald J. Mihalek, ABC News, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for obsessive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obsessive
Adjective
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Outfits that once felt aspirational quickly become irrelevant, leaving behind a cycle of impulsive purchases, lukewarm satisfaction, and the constant itch for reinvention.—
Jailynn Taylor,
Essence,
8 July 2025
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Back in 1937, Winfield James, Harry Caldwell and Jimmy Pickard — three impulsive teens from Abilene, just out of high school and trying to avoid summer jobs — paddled a small canoe some 660 miles down the Colorado from Ballinger, Texas, to the Gulf of Mexico.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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These systems are built on compulsive design, emotional triggers and algorithmic reinforcement.—
Mira Tzur,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Interestingly, when their microbiota samples were then transferred into the guts of healthy mice, these animals also developed the same compulsive eating behaviors.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obsessive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obsessive. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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