Etymology

infatuate

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Today it means: To inspire with unreasoning love, attachment or enthusiasm. Full definition →

Middle English infatuate ← Latin infatuātus
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infatuate · verb1

  1. Latin · borrowed frominfatuātus
  2. Middle English · derived frominfatuate
  3. English todayinfatuate

First attested in 1533; from Middle English infatuate and/or borrowed from Latin infatuātus, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and Etymology 2 for more.

infatuate · adjective, noun2

  1. Latin · derived frominfatuātus
  2. Middle English · inherited frominfatuate“foolish”
  3. English todayinfatuate

First attested in 1477, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English infatuate (“foolish”, adjective), from Latin infatuātus, perfect passive participle of infatuō, see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (noun-forming suffix).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.