# obsession

/əbˈsɛʃən/ (US) · /ɒbsˈɛʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/obsession
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. unhealthy preoccupation

noun · CEFR B2

a state where you think about something or someone all the time and cannot stop.

For teachers: a persistent and disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling. Often used uncountably to describe the psychological state.

- His obsession with fitness means he spends four hours at the gym every single day.
- The public's obsession with the celebrity's private life has led to a complete breakdown of her personal boundaries and mental health.

Usage: Commonly follows the pattern 'obsession with [something]'.

### 2. the object of interest

noun · CEFR B2

the specific thing or person that you are obsessed with.

For teachers: a specific activity, person, or entity that inspires a compulsive fixation. Countable in this sense.

- Collecting rare stamps became a lifelong obsession for him.
- What started as a casual interest in local history eventually transformed into a consuming obsession that dictated his travel plans for a decade.

### 3. spiritual influence

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

the belief that an evil spirit is controlling or influencing someone's mind.

For teachers: the state of being influenced or beset by an evil spirit, distinguished from 'possession' where the spirit inhabits the body.

- The old texts described a case of obsession where the victim heard voices from the shadows.
- Theological scholars distinguish between possession, where the entity resides within, and obsession, where the external influence torments the individual's psyche.

## Examples

- His obsession with video games is starting to ruin his grades.
- The detective's obsession with the unsolved case led her to spend every weekend reviewing old evidence files.
- What began as a mild interest in historical architecture soon blossomed into a full-blown obsession, prompting him to travel across Europe documenting forgotten ruins.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.