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Definition of obsess

obsess

/əbˈsɛs/
ob · sess
Adverb:obsessively
•
Adjective:obsessive
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Past Simple:obsessed
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Past Participle:obsessed
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Present Participle:obsessing
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obsess Lexical Profile

obsess Game Scores & Validity

• verb

1

To think, talk, or worry constantly and excessively about a particular topic, person, or detail (usually followed by 'over' or 'about').

Example

"Try not to obsess over minor formatting errors in the first draft of your essay."

2

To preoccupy or fill the mind of someone continually, intrusively, and to a troubling extent.

Example

"Thoughts of the unfinished manuscript continued to obsess the author for months."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for obsess
Antonyms
View all antonyms for obsess

• Rhymes for obsess

• Nearby Words

observatory
observe
observer
obsess
obsessed
obsessedly
obsession

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the early 16th century from Latin obsessus, the past participle of obsidēre, meaning 'to sit down before' or 'to besiege'. It originally referred to an evil spirit besetting or haunting a person from the outside before evolving into its modern psychological sense of an idea dominating the mind.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Obsess. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/obsess
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