French word

obsession

Pronunciation

IPA/ɔpsesjɔ̃/

Meaning

  • feminine nounfixation

Example

Son obsession pour les détails est parfois utile.

His fixation on details is useful at times.

Illustration for obsession (fixation)

More examples

Cette obsession l'empêche de dormir.

This obsession prevents him from sleeping.

Core concept

A thought or preference that keeps returning until it occupies the mind.

Common phrases

  • avoir une obsession

    have an obsession

  • une obsession du détail

    an obsession with detail

Similar words

fixation: A single idea or object holds the attention and is difficult to let go of.
préoccupation: A continuing concern that causes unease and prevents peace of mind.
addiction: A reliance on a particular activity or thing that makes it hard to stop.
manie: A habitual tendency to repeat a minor quirk or show a narrow preference.

Definition in French

Tendance ou fixation mentale persistante pour quelque chose, allant d'une forte préférence à une préoccupation envahissante.

Word origin

French obsession comes from Latin obsessio, from obsidere, meaning to besiege, so its mental sense develops from the image of a thought besieging the mind.

Usage tips

  • In French, obsession is feminine: une obsession, with the article becoming l'obsession before a vowel.

Other meanings

  • obsessionnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word