Reading Theme:

Language:

Font Size:

📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Obsession Definition, Usage & Common Examples (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：fixation (obsession)

obsession 🔊

/əbˈseʃən/

Something that you think about all the time, in a way that is not healthy or normal.

fixation 🔊

➕

/ˌfɪkˈseɪʃən/

An unhealthy state of mind where a single thought, interest, or feeling continuously occupies one's attention, often to an excessive degree.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin *obsidēre* ('to besiege'), via *obsession-* ('being besieged'). 'ob-' (against) + 'sidere' (to sit) + '-ion' (state).

💡 Mnemonic

Think of SESS in obsession like SITTING. An obsession is a thought that SITS in your mind and BESIEGES (original Latin meaning) your attention.

📖 Example

Ever since his trip to Japan, his obsession with collecting vintage stamps has taken over his weekends. 🔊 His intense and unhealthy focus on collecting vintage stamps now completely consumes his weekends.

🔗 Collocations

have an obsession with – to be intensely and unhealthily focused on something

develop an obsession – to start having an unhealthy preoccupation

unhealthy obsession – a preoccupation that is harmful or extreme

🔄 Synonyms

compulsion (n.) – an irresistible urge to behave in a certain way, often against one's conscious wishes

mania (n.) – an excessive enthusiasm or desire for something; also a medical term for a mental state

addiction (n.) – a compulsive physiological need for a habit-forming substance or activity

🚫 Antonyms

indifference (n.) – lack of interest, concern, or sympathy

apathy (n.) – lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or enthusiasm

detachment (n.) – a state of being objective or aloof, not emotionally involved

🌱 Derivatives

obsess (v.) – to preoccupy or fill the mind continually

obsessive (adj.) – of the nature of an obsession; thinking about something too much

📖 Cultural Story

The word derives from Latin *obsidere* meaning 'to besiege'. Historically, it described a state of being besieged or haunted by an evil spirit. Its modern psychological sense of a persistent, intrusive idea developed in the 17th century.

Meaning 2：preoccupation (obsession)

obsession 🔊

/əbˈseʃən/

The thing or idea that someone is obsessed with.

preoccupation 🔊

➕

/ˌpriːɑːkjəˈpeɪʃən/

The specific object, activity, or idea that someone is obsessively focused on.

📁 Category：Objects & Materials 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

For many environmentalists, reducing plastic waste isn't just a hobby; it's an obsession. 🔊 For them, the goal of reducing plastic waste is a central, all-consuming preoccupation.

🔗 Collocations

become an obsession – to develop into the main object of one's excessive focus

lifelong obsession – something that has been one's main preoccupation for their entire life

main obsession – the primary thing someone is fixated on

🔄 Synonyms

passion (n.) – a strong and barely controllable emotion or enthusiasm for something

fixation (n.) – an obsessive interest in or feeling about someone or something

idée fixe (n.) – a fixed idea; a persistent, often delusional, preoccupation (French loan phrase)

🚫 Antonyms

distraction (n.) – a thing that prevents someone from concentrating on something else

diversion (n.) – an activity that diverts the mind from serious concerns; a pastime