Obsess: meaning, definitions and examples

Used to describe when someone cannot stop thinking about something in a way that affects their daily life. Often neutral but can have a slightly negative connotation if it interferes with normal activities.

• She was so obsessed with her new project that she worked on it day and night.
• He obsesses over his health and spends hours researching diets.

Refers to an intense focus on a single thing, often to the exclusion of other important matters. Usually has a negative connotation, implying an unhealthy or unbalanced preoccupation.

• He tends to fixate on minor details instead of seeing the bigger picture.
• She fixated on her ex-boyfriend's new relationship and couldn't move on.

Often used to describe something troubling or disturbing that repeatedly comes to mind, like an unsettling memory or guilt. Generally carries a negative and sometimes eerie connotation.

• The memory of the accident still haunts him.
• Her past mistakes continue to haunt her.

Used to convey being continually troubled or tormented by something, often severe and persistent issues or problems. The connotation is strongly negative.

• He has been plagued by financial problems for years.
• Persistent headaches plague her daily.

Describes severe mental or physical suffering caused by an ongoing problem or situation. Strongly negative, it implies intense pain and distress.

• He was tormented by thoughts of failure.
• The loud noise from the construction site torments the residents.

Use this when someone cannot stop thinking about something, often in an unhealthy or negative way.

• She began to obsess over her appearance after reading the fashion magazine.
• He couldn't stop obsessing about the upcoming exam.

Use this when someone's mind is focused on something more than anything else, not necessarily in a negative way.

• His work preoccupied him so much that he forgot to call his friend.
• She was preoccupied with thoughts of her upcoming vacation.

Use this to describe a situation where someone's thoughts or time are completely taken up by something, often implying that it takes over their life.

• Work seems to consume all of his time these days.
• She was consumed by the desire to win the competition.

Use this when talking about something exerting control or influence over someone or something else.

• His fear started to dominate his actions.
• The conversation was dominated by talk of the upcoming election.

Use this to describe when someone is deeply interested or involved in something, in a positive or neutral way.

• She was engrossed in reading her new book.
• He found himself completely engrossed in the movie.

Used when someone can't stop thinking about something or someone, often to an unhealthy degree.

• She tends to obsess over her work, staying late every night
• He obsesses about his appearance, spending hours in front of the mirror

Refers to an intense focus on a particular subject or object, often in a way that is unreasonable or excessive.

• His fixation on perfecting his garden takes up all his free time
• She has a fixation with collecting vintage dolls

Describes a strong, often uncontrollable urge to perform a specific action, typically used in the context of psychological disorders.

• He has a compulsion to wash his hands every few minutes
• Her compulsion to check the door locks makes her late often

Describes an extreme enthusiasm or obsession, typically bordering on the irrational, and is often associated with periods of high energy and activity.

• His mania for cycling has led him to participate in several international races
• She has a mania for organizing parties, often at the expense of her own rest

Indicates an extreme, irrational fear of a specific object or situation, usually leading to avoidance behavior.

• Her phobia of spiders makes it impossible for her to enter basements
• He has a phobia of flying, so he always travels by train