obsessional

adjective

Definition of obsessionalnext
as in obsessive
caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge had an obsessional need to be liked by everybody

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 obsessional But obsessional online culture has sought to answer questions of origin rather than waving them off. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obsessional
  1. obsessive
  2. impulsive
Adjective
  • Even so, sonic adventurers, beginning with Leopold Stokowski in the 1930s, experimented with amplification in an obsessive, seemingly quixotic effort to locate a mythical sonic grail on the Cahuenga Pass.
    — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026
  • Some breeds are more genetically prone to these obsessive compulsive cats tendencies.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
Definition of obsessive
Adjective
  • Although 58 percent of Gen Z shoppers are just as likely to make impulsive purchases as Millennials (57 percent), Zoomers tend to overspend more annually than their slightly older counterparts, by $541 versus $373, respectively.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 14 July 2026
  • In both cases, the act was an impulsive, existential response with no single cause.
    — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026
Definition of impulsive

Browse Nearby Words

obsession
obsessional
obsessions
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Cite this Entry

“Obsessional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obsessional. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on obsessional

Nglish: Translation of obsessional for Spanish Speakers

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