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 Audiences may get hooked, mirroring the obsessional quality of true lizard people. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Aug. 2026 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
  • The players responded with an almost obsessive level of focus.
    — Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
  • His attention drifts towards intimate details – the bare armpit, the small hollow at the base of Rafael’s neck – and the music follows him into this increasingly private, almost obsessive fascination.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of obsessive
Adjective
  • The basal ganglia get better at their job during the first thirty years of life; this is partly why kids are more impulsive and restless than adults.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Low self-control, in contrast, is a core contributing factor to numerous problems, including substance abuse and impulsive buying.
    — Joan M. Cook, Time, 3 Oct. 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 23 Oct. 2026.

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