infatuation
noun
in·fat·u·a·tion
in-ˌfa-chə-ˈwā-shən 
-chü-ˈā-
plural infatuations
1
: a feeling of foolish or obsessively strong love for, admiration for, or interest in someone or something : strong and unreasoning attachment
She speaks openly about the real-life subject of one of her songs, a conservatory teacher who is both a neighbor in her apartment building and the unwilling object of her obsessive infatuation.—
Sasha Frere-Jones
Sasha Frere-JonesCraig Claiborne wrote about it in 1963, when he was deep in his infatuation with dill and meatballs and all things Nordic.—Amanda Hesser
Amanda Hesser2
: the object of an unreasoning or foolish attachment
And then, I began trying to forge their autographs. I'm not sure why I did it at first, but it became an infatuation.—Zach Selwyn
Zach SelwynExamples of infatuation in a Sentence
had a brief infatuation with the captain of the ski team
Recent Examples on the Web
My childhood reactions to television, sugar, praise, mood-altering chemicals, and, yes, romantic infatuation were epiphanic.
—Hazlitt, 11 June 2025
Because for him, it’s always been this infatuation.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 5 June 2025
The prospect of ending two wars—one in Asia and one in Europe—coupled with his infatuation with the Nobel Peace Prize, may be enough to compel Trump to take such unprecedented steps.
—Victor Cha, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2025
Elevated cortisol levels during romantic infatuation have been documented across multiple studies, suggesting that love initially activates the body's stress response, particularly the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
—Ximena Araya-Fischel, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for infatuation
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Hazlitt, 11 June 2025
Because for him, it’s always been this infatuation.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 5 June 2025
The prospect of ending two wars—one in Asia and one in Europe—coupled with his infatuation with the Nobel Peace Prize, may be enough to compel Trump to take such unprecedented steps.
—Victor Cha, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2025
Elevated cortisol levels during romantic infatuation have been documented across multiple studies, suggesting that love initially activates the body's stress response, particularly the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
—Ximena Araya-Fischel, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for infatuation
Cite this Entry
“Infatuation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infatuation. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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