idée fixe

noun

(ˌ)ē-ˌdā-ˈfēks How to pronounce idée fixe (audio)
Definition of idée fixenext
as in obsession
something about which one is constantly thinking or concerned had this bizarre idée fixe that people were spying on her with electromagnetic waves

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of idée fixe This is perhaps why their partnership remains an idee fixe so many decades later. — Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idée fixe
  1. obsession
  2. fetish
  3. fixation
  4. fascination
Noun
  • Charlie Barron has a habit of transforming curiosity into obsession.
    — Jill Newman, Robb Report, 8 Nov. 2026
  • City streets and suburban shopping malls have been reconfigured in response to our collective obsession with appearance, health and performance.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of obsession
Noun
  • Few authors have looked closely at rock’s swastika fetish, and Rachel deserves credit for his assiduous gathering of evidence.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Conahan, now 72, acknowledged having a bondage fetish in court but has always denied killing anyone.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of fetish
Noun
  • The character is not above asking inappropriate questions like how much an expensive shirt costs, signaling a sort of vulgar fixation on money.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2026
  • But this little episode does provide another reason to question the usefulness of Google’s fixation on AI as a web-search interface.
    — Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of fixation
Noun
  • For Adams, the festival is a reminder of how her fascination with the birds began.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The music itself is frantic and bombastic, exploding her crush into a throbbing, single-minded fascination.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of fascination

Browse Nearby Words

ideational
idée fixe
idées fixes
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Cite this Entry

“Idée fixe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/id%C3%A9e%20fixe. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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