Words / B2

uhb-SES-iv/əbˈsesɪv/

Obsessive means thinking or doing something too much, in a way that is hard to stop: an obsessive focus; obsessive checking. Obsession is the noun (already elsewhere); obsess is the verb. An obsessive focus on the league table crowded out drop-out figures. Mix-up: obsessive vs possessed (ghosts); excessive is “too much” without the mental loop. Do not diagnose a classmate in an essay.

Meaning

Thinking or doing something too much, in a way that is hard to stop.

Examples

• “An obsessive focus on the league table crowded out the drop-out figures.”
• “Obsessive checking of the portal still needs a log-off, which is the behaviour sense.”

Good to know

obsessive + noun; obsessive about. Noun: obsession. Verb: obsess. Trap: excessive / possessed. Evaluations and news. A hard-to-stop loop, not a medical label for peers.

New