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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
  • Centuries before the internet infiltrated almost every aspect of daily life, Swift described how scientific and technological advances could lead to chronic distraction by producing an obsession with what could be rather than what is.
    — Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
  • An obsession with discipline—both in the process and finished pieces—has driven her to deliver numerous competition wins for saddlery and wearable arts, and exhibition honors at London's Victoria and Albert Museum.
    — Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 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
  • Other highlights include Billie’s (Lucy Freyer) fixation with feeling young, Julian Manjerico’s return as the absolutely unhinged Zack-Carlos and a brilliant penultimate episode about casual use of the C-word (hey, the British do it).
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • For years, the fixation on Islamist terror shaped a culture drenched in fear, as voices from politics, the media, civil society, and a swelling counterterrorism-industrial complex insisted that the country faced an existential threat.
    — Daniel Benjamin, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of fixation
Noun
  • Learning to distinguish genuine friendship from fascination with his position is something Prince William has had to navigate his entire life.
    — Janelle Ash , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • For Johns, honey is one such ingredient—and his fascination with it is steeped in history.
    — Lauren Valenti, InStyle, 9 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 16 Sep. 2026.

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