infatuate

present singular third person infatuates · participle present infatuating · participle past infatuated · past infatuated

1. transitiveTo inspire with unreasoning love, attachment or enthusiasm.

   I declare the girl seems quite to infatuate the men, and see if trouble does not come of it.

   1888, George Manville Fenn, chapter 15, in One Maid’s Mischief, New York: Appleton, page 53

   1 more example

   If the mine was a “developed” one, and had no pay ore to show (and of course it hadn’t), we praised the tunnel; said it was one of the most infatuating tunnels in the land; driveled and driveled about the tunnel till we ran entirely out of ecstasies—but never said a word about the rock.

   1870–1871 (date written), Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter XLIV, in Roughing It, Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company [et al.], published 1872, →OCLC, page 308

2. obsoletetransitiveTo make foolish.

   […] wee beggard our selues by hearkning after false riches, and infatuated our selues by hearkning after false knowledge.

   1624, John Donne, Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, London: Thomas Jones, pages 3–4

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   Heaven doubtless has infatuated these Infidels, and given them up to dote on the grossest Absurdities; other wise they could never swallow such open and notorious Impositions […]

   1718, Daniel Defoe, A Continuation of Letters Written by a Turkish Spy at Paris, London: W. Taylor, Letter 4, p. 20

comparative more infatuate · superlative most infatuate

1. obsoleteInfatuated, foolishly attracted to someone.

   He is infatuate about her.

   1901, J. M. Barrie, Quality Street, act III

2. obsoleteFoolish, lacking good judgement.

   Helas I lamente the dull abuſyd brayne The enfatuate fantaſies the wytles wylfulnes Of on and hothyr at me that haue dyſdayne

   c. 1521, John Skelton, Speke Parott

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   1623, Joseph Hall, Contemplations on the Historical Passages of the Old and New Testaments (original title Contemplations vpon the Historie of the Old Testament), Edinburgh: Ja. Robertson et al., 1796, Volume 2, Book 18, Contemplation 4, p. 167, There was never wicked man that was not infatuate, and in nothing more than in those things wherein he hoped most to transcend the reach of others.

   Wilde was in a curious double temper. He made no pretence either of innocence or of questioning the folly of his proceedings against Queensberry. But he had an infatuate haughtiness as to the impossibility of his retreating, and as to his right to dictate your course.

   1918, George Bernard Shaw, “A Letter to Frank Harris, published by him in his Life of Wilde”, in Pen Portraits and Reviews, London: Constable, published 1931, page 293

plural infatuates

1. obsoleteInfatuated person.

   The idol has come sliding down its pedestal to fawn and grovel with all the other infatuates in the dust about my feet.

   1911, Max Beerbohm, chapter 4, in Zuleika Dobson, New York: John Lane, page 59

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   1771, Elizabeth Griffith, The History of Lady Barton, London: T. Davies & T. Cadell, Volume I, Letter 26, p. 183, […] she has a number of relations here, brothers and cousins, by the dozen; but they are all priests, and I am apprehensive that some of these infatuates may persuade her to quit me, and lock her up in a convent […]