infatuation

C1 Topic:People & Society

US /ɪnˌfætʃuˈeɪʃən/ UK /ɪnˌfætjuˈeɪʃən/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone or something

Her infatuation with the new band faded quickly.
2

noun
a foolish or unreasonable attachment or love

His infatuation with the idea led him to ignore its flaws.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · an intense but short-lived... obsession crush passion fixation craze

2 noun · a foolish or unreasonable... adorationidolizationworship fascination enchantment

Opposites

indifference aversion

Etymology

From Latin in- ('in') + fatuus ('foolish, silly') + -ation (noun-forming suffix), giving Late Latin infatuatio ('foolishness, infatuation'); via Middle English infatuacion ('foolish passion', 14th c.) into Modern English infatuation ('intense but short-lived passion').

Topics

People & Society Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# infatuation

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˌfætʃuˈeɪʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˌfætjuˈeɪʃən/

## Meanings
1. an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone or something
2. a foolish or unreasonable attachment or love

## Examples
- Her infatuation with the new band faded quickly.
- His infatuation with the idea led him to ignore its flaws.

## Synonyms
- obsession
- crush
- passion
- fixation
- craze
- adoration
- idolization
- worship
- fascination
- enchantment

## Antonyms
- indifference
- aversion

## Etymology
From Latin in- ('in') + fatuus ('foolish, silly') + -ation (noun-forming suffix), giving Late Latin infatuatio ('foolishness, infatuation'); via Middle English infatuacion ('foolish passion', 14th c.) into Modern English infatuation ('intense but short-lived passion').

## AI Etymology
Infatuation comes from Latin in- ('in') + fatuus ('foolish, silly') + -ation (noun-forming suffix), giving Late Latin infatuatio ('foolishness, infatuation'); via Middle English infatuacion ('foolish passion', 14th c.) into Modern English infatuation ('intense but short-lived passion'). In current use it is a noun meaning "an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone or something". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. The word's history is thus visible in its construction: the components remain interpretable even after the whole expression has settled into a conventional English meaning.

## Topics
- People & Society
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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