obsess
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
-
(tr; when passive, foll by with or by) to preoccupy completely; haunt
-
(intr; usually foll by on or over) to worry neurotically or obsessively; brood
Other Word Forms
- obsessingly adverb
- obsessor noun
Etymology
Origin of obsess
1495–1505; < Latin obsessus, past participle of obsidēre to occupy, frequent, besiege, equivalent to ob- ob- + -sid ( ēre ) combining form of sedēre to sit 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I doubt any of his successors obsessed as he did about freight-car loading statistics External link.
From Barron's
She became obsessed with the opera and orchestral repertoires and was immediately determined to play in an orchestra.
From Los Angeles Times
But on cross-examination, Kaley also revealed her mother had obsessed over her appearance, sometimes leaving her at school while she went to the gym.
From Los Angeles Times
Mary Greeley was too obsessed to remain satisfied.
From Literature
After his arrest he protested his innocence, but during his two-week trial it emerged that he was obsessed with vampires and wanted to become one in a quest for immortality.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
