obsession

noun

äb-ˈse-shən How to pronounce obsession (audio)
Definition of obsessionnext
as in problem
something about which one is constantly thinking or concerned her latest obsession is a movie star who she thinks is very handsome

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of obsession Now, there is a constant obsession over energy levels and management that has eradicated the previous ‘flat out’ approach to racing. — Luke Smith, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 But when the studio overturns the casting decision, her search for answers spirals into obsession, blurring the line between ambition, performance and reality. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026 What makes brisket unique is that its price increase has coincided with an explosion in demand, driven by an almost cult-like obsession with barbecue over the past several years. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Aug. 2026 But Kulusich insists there’s a distinction between her Disney obsession and her life outside the park. — Alexis Mikulski Ruiz, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for obsession
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obsession
  1. problem
  2. fascination
  3. preoccupation
  4. fixation
  5. fetish
  6. mania
  7. enthusiasm
Noun
  • But there’s a deeper problem, by Dartmouth provost Santiago Schnell, as 100% AI-written.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The problem is, Isolde is very busy with work, so Ry is often left to herself with four alarms a day to take medication to prevent seizures.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of problem
Noun
  • And of his fascination in the idea that people might go on living after death, in oblivion.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
  • That personal fascination would eventually shape Big World Pictures’ identity.
    — José Salazar, IndieWire, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of fascination
Noun
  • Washington’s preoccupation with its own domestic politics, inattention to the region’s nuances, and inflated fears of Chinese and Russian advances all made the United States an easy mark for manipulative local powers.
    — MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Vaz felt a resonance with the preoccupations with land, people and colonialism that have defined her filmography to this point.
    — Dylan Adamson, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of preoccupation
Noun
  • Each scene includes parallel images, along with between five and 12 convergent fixation image pairs.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Robert also identifies the lustful subtext of Bret’s fixation on Robert and Susan together.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of fixation
Noun
  • Tupper’s Mick, at the mercy of his brittle fetishes, may be the most believable of this quartet.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • The screen is big, the image is sharp and bright, but Nolan’s visual compositions are dull—just pictures of actors acting, without style or poetry—and his fetish for size is just bombast and vanity.
    — Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
Definition of fetish
Noun
  • What's your relationship to paparazzi and social media mania, given you’ve been in the spotlight for so long?
    — Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Other moviegoers adored his campy but somehow restrained mania as the butler in Clue, or delighted in his nasty smarm as the concierge in Home Alone 2.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of mania
Noun
  • Nvidia posted blockbuster second-quarter results, and the enthusiasm is spilling over into other parts of the semiconductor sector.
    — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Younger consumers' enthusiasm for fall, a desire to plan ahead and retailers' efforts to extend seasonal spending may all be helping drive the shift.
    — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of enthusiasm

Browse Nearby Words

obsessing (over)
obsession
obsessional
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Obsession.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obsession. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on obsession

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about obsession

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