obsess

O1B3S1E1S1S1
/əbˈsɛs/

verb

To be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion.

“Stop obsessing over it, will you!”

Similar
fixatehauntghost
OriginLatin obsessus →
UncommonScrabble 8
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Meanings

verbobsess (third-person singular simple present obsesses, present participle obsessing, simple past and past participle obsessed)

present singular third person obsesses · participle present obsessing · participle past obsessed · past obsessed

  1. passive voice; constructed with "with"; passive voice; constructed with "with"To be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion.

    Some people are obsessed with sports.

    2 more examples

    The [Isaac] Newton that emerges from the [unpublished] manuscripts is far from the popular image of a rational practitioner of cold and pure reason. The architect of modern science was himself not very modern. He was obsessed with alchemy.

    2014 June 21, “Magician’s brain”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8892

    Over the past few months, RAIL has frequently condemned the Department for Transport for its growing contempt for rail customers - by obsessing on cost, caring nothing for service, and not having the slightest interest in growth.

    2023 August 9, Nigel Harris, “Comment: Disinterested and dishonest”, in RAIL, number 989, page 3
  2. transitiveTo dominate the thoughts of someone.

    Thoughts of her obsess my every waking moment.

  3. colloquialintransitiveTo think or talk obsessively about.

    Stop obsessing over it, will you!

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
fixate

verbhaunt like a ghost; pursue

Similar
hauntghost
Broader
preoccupy
Also see
ghosthaunt

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinobsessus
  2. Englishobsess

From Latin obsessus, perfect passive participle of obsideō (“sit on or in, remain, besiege”), from ob- (“before”) + sedeō (“to sit”); see sit, session, etc.; compare assess, possess.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian завладявам
  • завладявам (zavladjavam)to dominate the thoughts of someone
Catalan obsessionar
  • obsessionarto dominate the thoughts of someone
Chinese Mandarin 迷住, 著魔
  • 迷住 (mízhu)to be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
  • 著魔 (zháomó)to be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
  • 着魔 (zháomó)to be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
  • 痴迷 (chīmí)to be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
  • 迷戀 /迷恋 (míliàn)to be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
  • 入迷 (rùmí)to be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
  • 迷住 (mízhu)to dominate the thoughts of someone
  • 著魔 (zháomó)to dominate the thoughts of someone
  • 着魔 (zháomó)to dominate the thoughts of someone
  • 痴迷 (chīmí)to dominate the thoughts of someone
  • 迷戀 /迷恋 (míliàn)to dominate the thoughts of someone
  • 入迷 (rùmí)to dominate the thoughts of someone
Danish besætte
  • besætteto be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
Dutch obsederen, spoken
  • obsederento be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
  • spokento dominate the thoughts of someone
  • rondspokento dominate the thoughts of someone
  • obsederento think or talk obsessively about
Esperanto obsedi
  • obsedito be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
Finnish olla koukussa, hallita
  • olla koukussato be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
  • hallitato dominate the thoughts of someone
  • pitää vallassaanto dominate the thoughts of someone
  • vaahdotato think or talk obsessively about
  • saarnatato think or talk obsessively about
French être obsédé, obséder
  • être obsédéto be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
  • obséderto dominate the thoughts of someone
German besessen sein
  • besessen seinto be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
Italian ossessionarsi, ossessionare
  • ossessionarsito be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
  • ossessionareto dominate the thoughts of someone
Japanese 取り付く
  • 取り付く (toritsuku)to be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
Lithuanian būti apsėstam, apsėsti
  • būti apsėstamto be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
  • apsėstito dominate the thoughts of someone
Māori whakamaimoa, whakamaimoa
  • whakamaimoato be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
  • whakamaimoato dominate the thoughts of someone
  • whakamaimoato think or talk obsessively about
Norwegian være besatt
  • være besattto be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
Polish prześladować
  • prześladowaćto dominate the thoughts of someone
Russian заци́клиться, заци́кливаться
  • заци́клиться (zacíklitʹsja)to be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
  • заци́кливаться (zacíklivatʹsja)to be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
  • завладе́ть (zavladétʹ)to dominate the thoughts of someone
  • завладева́ть (zavladevátʹ)to dominate the thoughts of someone
Spanish obsesionarse, obsesionar
  • obsesionarseto be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion
  • obsesionarto dominate the thoughts of someone
Swedish vara besatt
  • vara besattto be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with obsess

saddressaccesspressprocessyeslessexpresssuccessunlesscongressguessdressstressexcessSMSassesschessmessblesspossessdistressnessWes
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

obsess. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obsess

MLA

“obsess.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obsess. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “obsess,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obsess.

Source: obsess on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.