How to Use obsessive in a Sentence

obsessive

adjective
Definition of obsessivenext
Synonyms for obsessivenext
  • Many dancers are obsessive about their weight.
  • He is an obsessive workaholic who never stops thinking about his job.
  • The new therapy is supposed to help people control their obsessive thoughts.
  • One way is to foreground your obsessive commitment to the role—but even that can strike a false note.
    — Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024
  • Some might even call their love for these places obsessive, or at least that's what one dog proved in a viral video.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Pawlowski urges parents not to be obsessive about where the items go.
    — Jolie Kerr, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2020
  • The ultramarathon is home to the gutsy eccentric; the marathon is home to the Type-A obsessive.
    — New York Times, 11 Feb. 2020
  • An obsessive protector of rock’s past could hold the key to its future.
    — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 9 June 2022
  • Then there’s the most frequent object of obsessive news stress: polls.
    — Arianna Huffington, TIME, 21 Oct. 2024
  • At the close of the first video, Tyla speeds off into the night after a long day of being trailed in her car by an obsessive ex.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2024
  • The company has an obsessive dedication to its craft, down to the food the dairy cows eat.
    — Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 29 Dec. 2020
  • Most of it was chalked up to being a first-time head coach who can be obsessive about every detail.
    — J. Michael, The Indianapolis Star, 6 May 2021
  • The rules are typical for these trying times, but the number of signs is obsessive.
    — Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, 10 Nov. 2020
  • The rules were typical for these trying times, but the number of signs was obsessive.
    — Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2020
  • The 1% have a strong sense of self and an obsessive focus on purpose combined with results.
    — Paul Prior, Forbes, 12 Nov. 2021
  • More than a few were obsessive Zappa fans who hoped to gain access to his fabled vaults.
    — David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2020
  • There is the obsessive search for a vessel, a form that will hold a filmic/poetic future, in all of Graham’s work.
    — Carol Muske-Dukes, Washington Post, 2 Sep. 2023
  • The obsessive urge to re-enact your own life, but perfectly, through your child.
    — Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic, 19 June 2020
  • The ground floor, especially, conjures the thrill of the bazaar and, with it, an obsessive desire to collect.
    — Reggie Nadelson, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2020
  • Her dispute by mail with her landlord was epic and obsessive.
    — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2022
  • Those phones are meant for people who are more obsessive over some features.
    — Geoffrey A. Fowler, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022
  • Here’s a tale of obsessive planners, who stave off the apocalypse with stickers and binders.
    — Steven Levy, Wired, 9 Oct. 2020
  • Americans are obsessive about crisp skin; the French aren't.
    — TheWeek, 17 May 2020
  • Leo July 23 – August 22 Your efforts to make progress on your to-do list may be obsessive at the moment.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 7 Nov. 2024
  • In other words, if a team hones in on an almost obsessive drive to improve, the outcomes will take care of themselves.
    — Braidon Nourse, The Denver Post, 23 Nov. 2024
  • In retrospect, my love for music was obsessive, and that was the problem.
    — Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 21 May 2020
  • An obsessive quail hunter, Pickens designed and managed the ranch with upland birds in mind, and it’s been called a quail mecca by some.
    — Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 7 Mar. 2024
  • For someone who spends an obsessive amount of time looking at any new addition to my face—Is that a new pore?
    — Jenny Singer, Glamour, 28 Dec. 2020
  • Healthy love is not obsessive, but reliable, balanced and uplifting, and many long for such a dynamic.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
  • The modern coach’s quest to remove jeopardy within matches is obsessive and Emery believes opponents can be negated by keeping the ball for long, often slow, periods.
    — Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'obsessive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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