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Added 9 October 2026

obsess

/əbˈsɛs/ verb

Latin root: obsessus Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about obsess at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Haunt like a ghost; pursue.
Fear of illness haunts her
Be preoccupied with something.
She is obsessing over her weight

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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