infatuate
infatuate Lexical Profile
infatuate Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To inspire someone with an intense, extravagant, and often short-lived passion or admiration.
"The charismatic newcomer seemed to infatuate everyone he met at the summer retreat."
To deprive someone of sound judgment or make them act foolishly (archaic or literary).
"Pride and sudden wealth can easily infatuate even the most sensible leaders."
Word Nuance & Usage
In contemporary English, the active verb 'infatuate' is relatively rare compared to its participial adjective 'infatuated' (usually followed by 'with'). Unlike enduring love, it implies an intense, unreasoning passion that is often superficial or short-lived.
• Rhymes for infatuate
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 16th century from Latin 'infatuatus', the past participle of 'infatuare' ('to make a fool of'), formed from 'in-' ('into') and 'fatuus' ('foolish' or 'silly', the same root that gives English 'fatuous').