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
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Recent Examples of idée fixe
This is perhaps why their partnership remains an idee fixe so many decades later.
—
Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2021
Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idée fixe
Noun
-
This dainty top combines the polka dot craze with the sheer obsession.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
19 Feb. 2026
-
His extreme discipline, to the point of obsession, with things like food and exercise is a frequent target, too, as is his penchant for the good life.—
Lacey Rose,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Mikomi sees images generated by Grok of her wearing specific fetish outfits, or her body contorted or placed in strange contexts.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
In addition, the creation of the fetishes, with their bits of bone, dirt, plants, and other objects, also unnerved enslavers and colonists.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Cristian’s fixation on winning a vintage two-bit arcade game on the sidewalk not far from Olga’s home is a romantic touch that turns, briefly, surreal as Cristian mentally threads his experience with the game into his experience with his now certainly dying mother.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2026
-
And then there’s the council’s bizarre fixation on censoring library books.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idée fixe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/id%C3%A9e%20fixe. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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