as in impulsive
caused by or suggestive of an irresistible urge
intrigued by the man's obsessive counting of everyday objects
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Recent Examples of obsessive
And obsessive thinking can obscure your ability to see the big picture.
—
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2026
At a moment when our attention is fractured across phones, feeds, and tabs, the gap between occasional readers and obsessive ones has never felt wider.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
Season 4 focuses on the search for a missing Navajo girl, which takes Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito (Jessica Matten) from the safety of the Navajo Nation to the gritty terrain of 1970s Los Angeles in a race against the clock to save her from an obsessive killer with ties to organized crime.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
According to those close to Selena, Saldívar began to show obsessive behavior.
—Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obsessive
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2026
At a moment when our attention is fractured across phones, feeds, and tabs, the gap between occasional readers and obsessive ones has never felt wider.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
Season 4 focuses on the search for a missing Navajo girl, which takes Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito (Jessica Matten) from the safety of the Navajo Nation to the gritty terrain of 1970s Los Angeles in a race against the clock to save her from an obsessive killer with ties to organized crime.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
According to those close to Selena, Saldívar began to show obsessive behavior.
—Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obsessive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obsessive
Adjective
-
The ultimate goal is never an impulsive diagnosis.—
Lucy Jones
April 11,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
-
For svn4vr, a devout Christian whose music grapples with the demands of faith, the impulsive workflow conveys a religious fervor.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Viewers follow this meagre trail methodically, greedily, with heads down, driven by compulsive curiosity.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The suit argues that the gambling apps are designed to encourage compulsive use, including by targeting users with personalized bonuses and urging them to keep betting.—
Shannon Bond,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But obsessional online culture has sought to answer questions of origin rather than waving them off.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obsessive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obsessive. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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