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
The 25-year-old singer-songwriter was born in Hong Kong to Filipino and English parents, and spent most of her childhood between Thailand and London, obsessing over her dad’s classic-rock album collection, inspired by legends like the Kinks, Joan Jett, and Prince.
—
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2024
The Fifteen Puzzle, a challenge that inspired poetry, has obsessed fans for more than a century.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
These include the black-and-white stripes of the bathroom walls, inspired by the outfits of the Dalton brothers from the Lucky Luke comics which have long obsessed the architect, the small table with its thorny legs, and custom cabinet handles which also have thorns.
—Nicolas Milon, Architectural Digest, 24 June 2024
People around the world, mostly Generation Z, are obsessed with the look and feel of gothic, elitist universities.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for obsess 
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2024
The Fifteen Puzzle, a challenge that inspired poetry, has obsessed fans for more than a century.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
These include the black-and-white stripes of the bathroom walls, inspired by the outfits of the Dalton brothers from the Lucky Luke comics which have long obsessed the architect, the small table with its thorny legs, and custom cabinet handles which also have thorns.
—Nicolas Milon, Architectural Digest, 24 June 2024
People around the world, mostly Generation Z, are obsessed with the look and feel of gothic, elitist universities.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for obsess
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'obsess.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near obsess
Cite this Entry
“Obsess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obsess. Accessed 30 Jun. 2024.
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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