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
Nathan Lane, who famously played an obsessive Maria Callas fan in Terrence McNally’s play The Lisbon Traviata, had some harsh words for the opera- and ballet-bashing Timothée Chalamet on today’s The View.
—
Greg Evans, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026
Beef first premiered on Netflix in 2023, with Ali Wong and Steven Yeun leading the cast of season 1, which centered around two people who lock into an obsessive feud after a road-rage incident throws them into each other’s paths.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 12 Mar. 2026
Breaking from the traditional agency playbook, Area Ten operates with an obsessive technology focus that helps translate strategy into more consistent and efficient execution.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
When mounting debts tied to an obsessive romantic relationship push her to the edge, Raquel desperately steals from her crime-lord boss.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obsessive
Greg Evans, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026
Beef first premiered on Netflix in 2023, with Ali Wong and Steven Yeun leading the cast of season 1, which centered around two people who lock into an obsessive feud after a road-rage incident throws them into each other’s paths.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 12 Mar. 2026
Breaking from the traditional agency playbook, Area Ten operates with an obsessive technology focus that helps translate strategy into more consistent and efficient execution.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
When mounting debts tied to an obsessive romantic relationship push her to the edge, Raquel desperately steals from her crime-lord boss.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obsessive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obsessive
Adjective
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Players admit emotions can get the best of them, leading to impulsive challenges that cost their team later in the game.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
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His impulsive decision-making and lack of a strategy for exiting the Iran war are also ingredients for hardship and disaster.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Some young men say early exposure led to compulsive use, affecting relationships and daily life.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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But in recent years, researchers have homed in specifically on behaviors that indicate compulsive use of social media.—
Carmel Wroth,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But obsessional online culture has sought to answer questions of origin rather than waving them off.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obsessive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obsessive. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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