Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

obsession

/əbˈsɛʃən/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.90 in modern English

Syllables: ob-ses-sion
IPA: /əbˈsɛʃən/

11

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The quality of being obsessed; an unshakeable feeling that one topic or activity must be pursued above other interests.

Uncountable

noun

An idea that engenders a compulsive or irrational preoccupation, or the preoccupation thereby engendered.

Countable

noun

An activity or entity that inspires a compulsive and potentially unhealthy fixation, or the fixation thereby inspired.

Countable

noun

Influence or control by evil spirits without possession.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"My obsession with rugby resulted in me spending years following the sport."
"The downfall of the chairman is an obsession that consumes Laura's time."
"Editing Wikipedia started as a hobby, but it's turned into a complete obsession of mine."
"His current obsession is getting that law passed."
"if an evil spirit counterfeits the presence of God, and comes upon the man as an influence only, it may be described as obsession; but when a footing is gained in him, it is "possession," because the obsessing spirits have gained access, and possess the ground they hold, up to the extent of the ground given."
"They should see that a perception of their identification with the Victor of Calvary is absolutely necessary if they are to constantly and victoriously resist the obsession of evil spirits."

Etymology

From Latin obsessio (“a besieging”), from obsidere (“to besiege”); see obsess. Equivalent to obsess + -ion.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: obsess

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /əbˈsɛʃən/
British English: /əbˈsɛʃən/

Usage

Inflected Forms

obsessions (plural)

Derived Forms

obsessionism obsessionist

Phrases

celebrity obsession disorder self-obsession

Frequently Paired Words

obsess obsessed obsessional obsessive obsessively

Synonyms

obsessedness idée fixe kick fixation compulsion

Rhymes With

session depression expression self-expression possession impression profession succession aggression progression discretion confession

Questions

How do you pronounce obsession?: The recorded pronunciation is /əbˈsɛʃən/.
What does obsession mean?: The quality of being obsessed; an unshakeable feeling that one topic or activity must be pursued above other interests.
Where does obsession come from?: From Latin obsessio (“a besieging”), from obsidere (“to besiege”); see obsess. Equivalent to obsess + -ion.

How to pronounce obsession

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “obsession”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/əbˈsɛʃən/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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