fixated; fixating
1
: to make fixed, stationary, or unchanging
2
: to focus one's gaze on
3
: to direct (the libido) toward an infantile form of gratification
1
: to focus or concentrate one's gaze or attention intently or obsessively
2
: to undergo arrestment at a stage of development
Examples of fixate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The woman said everything was going well in their home until her mother-in-law became fixated on rearranging items in the kitchen.
—
Toria Sheffield, People.com, 22 Dec. 2024
This is mostly done not through organic interactions, but through Ruby’s therapist (Elizabeth Bowen) explaining her problems — from abandonment issues to fixating on a kind of love that only exists in popular culture — to her face.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 19 Dec. 2024
Sources said writings police seized from Mangione suggest he was fixated on UnitedHealthcare for months and gradually developed a plan to kill the CEO.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 16 Dec. 2024
Then, after Foxx provided a video update the following month, social media users fixated on his appearance and began to speculate that he was cloned or that the video was AI-generated.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 10 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fixate 
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Toria Sheffield, People.com, 22 Dec. 2024
This is mostly done not through organic interactions, but through Ruby’s therapist (Elizabeth Bowen) explaining her problems — from abandonment issues to fixating on a kind of love that only exists in popular culture — to her face.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 19 Dec. 2024
Sources said writings police seized from Mangione suggest he was fixated on UnitedHealthcare for months and gradually developed a plan to kill the CEO.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 16 Dec. 2024
Then, after Foxx provided a video update the following month, social media users fixated on his appearance and began to speculate that he was cloned or that the video was AI-generated.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 10 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fixate
Dictionary Entries Near fixate
Cite this Entry
“Fixate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fixate. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
fixate
verb
fix·ate
ˈfik-ˌsāt 
fixated; fixating
1
: to focus one's gaze on
2
: to direct (the libido) toward an infantile form of gratification
1
: to focus or concentrate one's gaze or attention
an infant with normal vision … will fixate on a light held before him—The Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association2
: to undergo arrestment at a stage of development
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