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
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Guests arrive dressed for the part, whether inspired by their White Lotus obsession or devotion to the Four Seasons brand.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
That obsession hasn’t waned much since.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Studies show the online dating space is less welcoming for Black women willing to try it — experiences include misogynoir, racial fetishes and microaggressions, in addition to biased dating app algorithms that leave many feeling invisible, less desirable and lonely.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Apr. 2026
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But the Tarantino fetish becomes so pronounced in Russian writer-director Kirill Sokolov’s addition to the grungy revenge-thriller that every quick zoom and shock-cinema score cue starts to feel less like an adrenaline spike and more like a rib nudge.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As the summer wanes, Jean’s fixation on David grows.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
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Despite the industry’s fixation on Zaslav’s big payday, the spoils from the sale will spread through the rank and file.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idée fixe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/id%C3%A9e%20fixe. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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