OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVES Synonyms: 105 Similar and Opposite Words

obsessive-compulsive

adjective

as in neurotic

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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 obsessive-compulsive This anxiety can also happen with obsessive-compulsive disorder. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 Eating disorders are somewhat like obsessive-compulsive disorder or substance use disorder and involve brain circuits that are very resistant to intervention, Hellerstein says. — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2026 In 2018, their son, Alan Hu, was receiving medical care for depression and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. — Sharon Chin, CBS News, 25 June 2026 Wealthy, misanthropic and obsessive-compulsive, Melvin Udall, played by Jack Nicholson, develops an unlikely bond with Carol, a waitress portrayed by Helen Hunt. — Camille Perri, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for obsessive-compulsive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for obsessive-compulsive

Adjective

Vocelle finds criticism that cat dads are seen as feminine, neurotic or less desirable as a relatively modern and unfounded affliction.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
But as with any good Leonard story, the best moments come from the characters, a rogues’ gallery of violent ruffians and neurotic, duplicitous scoundrels.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of neurotic

Adjective

That applies to everyone from paranoid conspiracy theorists to presidents.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
In outline, these are elegant Bond-villain machines for faceless, leaderless, pervasive espionage and assassination, the stuff of paranoid nightmares and stochastic violence.

— Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of paranoid

Adjective

The artist adopts a schizoid persona, with multiple voices flowing out of him, and swerves between lucid social criticism—about the history of slavery or of higher education—and total gibberish.

— Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
The idea of a schizoid Lady M is not entirely without appeal, but despite strong performances across the board, the work runs aground fast.

— Rhoda Feng, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024

Definition of schizoid

Adjective

But Trump’s obsession with these vulgar memorials to his own vanity is a reminder of the darkness around him, of his hostility to democracy, his loathing of honor, and his disordered mind.

— Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026
When many defects were present, the electrons became locked into an unexpectedly stable Wigner solid with irregular and disordered patterns.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of disordered

Adjective

Defense lawyer Joshua O’Hara, previewing testimony from a defense psychiatrist, told jurors in an opening statement that Eaton was suffering from a delusional, psychotic disorder after losing his job at a credit union two weeks before the shooting.

— Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
But delusional disorder is defined as something experienced for at least a month—not as a breaking-point response to indignities, to use Bilinkas’s language.

— Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of delusional

Adjective

Similarly, Zo — seen recently as the monster hunter in Na Hong-jin’s delirious sci-fi action epic, Hope — stays for most of the running time just the right side of smug entitlement.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
The new album reunited the Jayhawks with storied producer Bob Ezrin, who guided some of the most delirious and grandiose rock records of the 1970s, from Alice Cooper, Kiss, and Lou Reed to Pink Floyd’s The Wall.

— Steve Appleford, SPIN, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of delirious

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obsessive

obsessive-compulsive

obsess (over)

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“Obsessive-compulsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obsessive-compulsive. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of obsessive-compulsive

adjective

Example Sentences

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