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
For his latest documentary the German filmmaker behind Grizzly Man and Cave of Forgotten Dreams follows conservation biologist and National Geographic Explorer Steve Boyes on his obsessive quest to find the mythical ghost elephants of Lisima in the highlands of Angola.
—
Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 10 Feb. 2026
How to stop limerence Of course, recognizing that an obsessive attachment is unhealthy usually isn’t enough to make strong feelings disappear.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 6 Feb. 2026
Season 4 focuses on the search for a missing Navajo girl, which takes Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito from the safety of 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.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
But a mature, obsessive work ethic turns his big ideas into big jumps and one-of-a-kind routines.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obsessive
Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 10 Feb. 2026
How to stop limerence Of course, recognizing that an obsessive attachment is unhealthy usually isn’t enough to make strong feelings disappear.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 6 Feb. 2026
Season 4 focuses on the search for a missing Navajo girl, which takes Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito from the safety of 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.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
But a mature, obsessive work ethic turns his big ideas into big jumps and one-of-a-kind routines.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obsessive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obsessive
Adjective
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Margot Robbie’s Catherine is whimsical, impulsive and occasionally delusional, a woman intoxicated by her own volatility.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
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Intuition without reflection can become impulsive.—
Malana VanTyler,
Sacbee.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The distinctive lifestyle of elite athletes can create a hotbed for eating disorders and disordered eating, meaning restrictive, compulsive, irregular or inflexible eating patterns, all of which can occur on a spectrum.—
Emily Hemendinger,
The Conversation,
13 Feb. 2026
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Some scientists think that the medications may even help with behavioral addictions, such as gambling and compulsive shopping.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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 21 Feb. 2026.
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