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
  • In some cases, the obsession becomes so extreme that men may avoid eating foods prepared elsewhere or outside their strict standards.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • There was this strange obsession that Ghana had with Western culture and, in this case, American culture.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 1 Oct. 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
  • Each loving gesture and bashful smile from his aspiring girlfriend Nikki is punctuated by dread, every minute tense and unnerving as her fixation slowly takes a dark turn.
    — Mariam Bagdady, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Jennifer Lopez anticipated Milan’s fixation before the shows were properly underway.
    — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of fixation
Noun
  • Key leadership reshuffle The black box of China’s elite politics has long been a source of fascination for journalists, scholars and foreign governments alike.
    — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
  • That visceral response reflects a lifelong fascination with music as a physical experience.
    — Ben Croll, Variety, 30 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 6 Oct. 2026.

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