obsess

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /əbˈsɛs/ See IPA manual

Freq #27310

Meanings

1

verb
To think or worry about someone or something all the time.

She obsesses over every tiny mistake she makes.
2

verb
To fill someone's thoughts completely.

Thoughts of the upcoming exam obsessed him for weeks.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

fixate

Word family

Forms obsessedobsessesobsessing

Derived forms obsesseeobsessinglyobsessiveobsessoidobsessor

Related forms obsession

Simplified etymology

Obsess comes from Latin obsidere, “to besiege.” Its early English sense was “haunt” or “possess,” especially in reference to an evil spirit.

Etymology

From Latin obsessus, perfect passive participle of obsideō (“sit on or in, remain, besiege”), from ob- (“before”) + sedeō (“to sit”); see sit, session, etc.; compare assess, possess.

*sed- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# obsess

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /əbˈsɛs/
**Frequency rank:** 27310

## Meanings
1. To think or worry about someone or something all the time.
2. To fill someone's thoughts completely.

## Examples
- She obsesses over every tiny mistake she makes.
- Thoughts of the upcoming exam obsessed him for weeks.

## Synonyms
- fixate

## Derived Forms
- obsessee
- obsessingly
- obsessive
- obsessoid
- obsessor

## Related Forms
- obsession

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *sed-

## Etymology
From Latin obsessus, perfect passive participle of obsideō (“sit on or in, remain, besiege”), from ob- (“before”) + sedeō (“to sit”); see sit, session, etc.; compare assess, possess.

## AI Etymology
Obsess comes from Latin obsessus, perfect passive participle of obsideō (“sit on or in, remain, besiege”), from ob- (“before”) + sedeō (“to sit”); see sit, session, etc.; compare assess, possess. Modern senses include to think or worry about someone or something all the time and to fill someone's thoughts completely. The wider word family includes derivatives such as obsessee, obsessingly, obsessive, obsessoid, and obsessor and related forms such as obsession.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

markdown