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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

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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
  • It’s centered on Bryant’s pillars of passion, obsession, relentlessness, resilience and fearlessness, core traits that Bowman used to persevere and conquer.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 2026
  • This is admittedly a ridiculously high standard, but just compare this film to David Fincher’s Zodiac, which shows us just how much all that obsession took out of the people involved in the case.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of obsession
Noun
  • Conahan, now 72, acknowledged having a bondage fetish in court but has always denied killing anyone.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Instead, we’re presented with deviant men defined only by their fetishes, creating an uneasy imbalance that’s impossible to ignore.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of fetish
Noun
  • During the trial, prosecutors said Kosowski was obsessed with Cozzi — and his fixation drove him to plot the slaying.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Rarely has a film ever so thoroughly self-selected by its very existence to only be watched by people who are, in some way or another, already bought into the overall fixations of everyone involved.
    — Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of fixation
Noun
  • The Ouze The Ouze’s sleek-meets-rugged aesthetic presented during London Fashion Week stemmed from founder Tony Vernon’s fascination with antique and heirloom jewelry that has been worn and appreciated over time.
    — Virginia Corneli, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Hogan builds the film around audiences’ fascination with the true crime documentary format before steering the narrative into unexpected supernatural territory.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Sep. 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 28 Sep. 2026.

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