infatuate

C2+ Topic:Emotions & Feelings

US /ɪnˈfætʃuˌeɪt/ UK /ɪnˈfætʃuˌeɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #284693

Meanings

1

verb
to fill someone with an intense but unreasoning and often short-lived attraction or admiration, usually used in the passive

He was infatuated with the singer and ignored every warning from his friends.
2

verb
dated or literary: to deprive someone of sound judgment through a delusive idea, passion, or enthusiasm

The promise of effortless wealth infatuated the speculators and blinded them to the risk.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to fill someone with an... besotenamor captivate obsess

2 verb · dated or literary: to... delude befool intoxicate

Opposites

disillusion disenchant repel

Word family

Forms infatuatedinfatuatedly

Derived forms infatuatedinfatuatinginfatuationinfatuator

Related forms fatuous besottedenamoredobsession

Etymology

From Latin infatuare ("make foolish"), based on in- ("into") + fatuus ("foolish"), through its participle infatuatus. English first used the verb for making someone foolish; by the seventeenth century it had developed the now-dominant sense of inspiring a passion that overcomes reason.

Topics

Emotions & Feelings

External links

# infatuate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈfætʃuˌeɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈfætʃuˌeɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 284693

## Meanings
1. to fill someone with an intense but unreasoning and often short-lived attraction or admiration, usually used in the passive
2. dated or literary: to deprive someone of sound judgment through a delusive idea, passion, or enthusiasm

## Examples
- He was infatuated with the singer and ignored every warning from his friends.
- The promise of effortless wealth infatuated the speculators and blinded them to the risk.

## Synonyms
- besot
- enamor
- captivate
- obsess
- delude
- intoxicate

## Antonyms
- disillusion
- disenchant
- repel

## Derived Forms
- infatuated
- infatuating
- infatuation
- infatuator

## Related Forms
- fatuous
- besotted
- enamored
- obsession

## Etymology
From Latin infatuare ("make foolish"), based on in- ("into") + fatuus ("foolish"), through its participle infatuatus. English first used the verb for making someone foolish; by the seventeenth century it had developed the now-dominant sense of inspiring a passion that overcomes reason.

## Topics
- Emotions & Feelings

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