obsessed; obsessing; obsesses
: to haunt or excessively preoccupy the mind of
was obsessed with the idea
She was obsessed with her car.
: to engage in obsessive thinking : become obsessed with an idea
He's always obsessing over money.
Examples of obsess in a Sentence
The war obsesses him—he talks about nothing else.
You need to stop obsessing and just deal with the problem.
Recent Examples on the Web
Internet viewers were obsessed with the partner's act of kindness, but many mistakenly assumed the hairdresser was a woman.
—
David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
Nero Wolfe, who is loath to set foot outside his brownstone on West Thirty-fifth Street, is obsessed with orchids and dedicates four hours a day to tending to them in his plant rooms on the roof.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Like Frank, Rick is obsessed with desire, but his ultimate goal is to commit bloody murder, rather than indulge in a series of increasingly elaborate hookups.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
We've long been obsessed with the 27-year-old beauty queen, and are equally invested in her romance with Timothée Chalamet.
—Lena Raab, Glamour, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obsess
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David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
Nero Wolfe, who is loath to set foot outside his brownstone on West Thirty-fifth Street, is obsessed with orchids and dedicates four hours a day to tending to them in his plant rooms on the roof.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
Like Frank, Rick is obsessed with desire, but his ultimate goal is to commit bloody murder, rather than indulge in a series of increasingly elaborate hookups.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
We've long been obsessed with the 27-year-old beauty queen, and are equally invested in her romance with Timothée Chalamet.
—Lena Raab, Glamour, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for obsess
Cite this Entry
“Obsess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obsess. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
obsess
verb
ob·sess
əb-ˈses 
äb-
: to occupy the mind of completely or abnormally
obsessed with this new scheme
Medical Definition
obsess
transitive verb
ob·sess
əb-ˈses, äb-
: to preoccupy intensely or abnormally
was obsessed with success
: to engage in obsessive thinking
solve problems rather than obsess about them—Carol Tavris
Carol TavrisLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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