obsession
[noun]
Synonyms: preoccupation, complex, fetish, fixation, hang-up (informal), infatuation, mania, phobia, thing (informal)

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

ob‧ses‧sion /əbˈseʃən/ noun [uncountable and countable]
an extreme unhealthy interest in something or worry about something, which stops you from thinking about anything else:
Gambling became an obsession, and he eventually lost everything.
obsession with
an unhealthy obsession with being thin
The current obsession with exam results is actually harming children’s education.
The game pachinko became a national obsession.
He has an enthusiasm for art, to the point of obsession in my opinion.
She looked after him with a devotion bordering on obsession.
—obsessional adjective

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

obsession
noun
ADJ. dangerous, unhealthy | current
VERB + OBSESSION become Don't let this interest of yours become an obsession.
PREP. ~ with I don't understand television's current obsession with cookery programmes.
PHRASES in the grip of an obsession He was in the grip of an obsession and would not listen to reason.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

obsession

become an obsession
For Rosie, losing weight had become an obsession.
have an obsession
The poet seems to have an obsession with death.
border on/upon obsession (=be almost as extreme as an obsession)
Sometimes his tidiness bordered on obsession.
a national obsession (=an obsession that the whole country has)
In Britain, the weather is a national obsession.
an unhealthy obsession (=an obsession that is not normal)
Our society seems to have an unhealthy obsession with staying young.
a dangerous obsession
Mark had a dangerous obsession with fast cars.
a sexual obsession
Sexual obsessions can take many forms.
the modern obsession with something
the modern obsession with celebrities' lives
be something of an obsession (=be almost as strong as an obsession)
The case became something of an obsession with him.
to the point of obsession (=used to say that something has stopped being a normal interest and become an extreme one)
She was protective of her children, to the point of obsession.
be in the grip of an obsession (=have extreme feelings of interest in something or someone)
At 15 I met Heather and instantly fell into the grip of an obsession.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲