obsessive
gb/əbsˈɛsɪv/ us/əbsˈɛsɪv/
B2
Inglese
Accezioni
0 accezioni
adjective
B2
property
1
unable to stop thinking about something
If you are obsessive about something, you think about it too much and can’t stop.
Schema d'uso:
be obsessive about [something/someone]
Errore comune:
Don’t confuse obsessive (too much focus) with ambitious (strong desire to succeed).
Sinonimi
fixated (Emphasizes being stuck on one idea or person.)
|
preoccupied (Often less extreme; suggests your attention is taken up.)
Contrari
relaxed (Not tense or overly concerned.)
|
unconcerned (Not worried or not paying much attention.)
Collocazioni
obsessive thoughts
|obsessive behavior
|obsessive focus
|obsessive interest
|obsessive worry
|obsessive love
|obsessive jealousy
|obsessive fan
|obsessive checking
|obsessive need
Temi
emotions
|mental_health
|daily_life
Esempi
- He became obsessive about counting calories and weighed himself twice a day.
- I don’t want to sound obsessive, but I’ve checked the door lock three times.
- She was obsessive over every detail of the presentation.
Esempi per chi studia
- He is obsessive about his phone.
- I’m trying not to be obsessive.
adjective
B2
property
2
extremely careful and perfectionist
If someone is obsessive, they care too much about being perfect or neat.
Schema d'uso:
obsessive about [details/cleanliness/organization]
Errore comune:
Obsessive is usually negative or critical; for a positive meaning, use careful or thorough.
Sinonimi
meticulous (More neutral/positive; focuses on careful accuracy.)
|
perfectionistic (Highlights setting unrealistically high standards.)
Contrari
sloppy (Not careful; messy or careless.)
|
laid-back (Not strict about details; relaxed.)
Collocazioni
obsessive attention to detail
|obsessive neatness
|obsessive cleanliness
|obsessive organizer
|obsessive planner
|obsessive record-keeping
|obsessive editing
|obsessive tidying
|obsessive work habits
|obsessive standards
Temi
work
|personality
|daily_life
Esempi
- She’s obsessive about keeping her desk perfectly tidy.
- Our editor is obsessive, but the finished articles are always excellent.
- He took an obsessive amount of time choosing the exact shade of paint.
Esempi per chi studia
- My father is obsessive about cleanliness.
adjective
technical
C1
property
3
related to obsessions in OCD
In psychology, obsessive describes repeated unwanted thoughts that are hard to control.
Schema d'uso:
obsessive symptoms/thoughts
Errore comune:
Don’t use OCD or obsessive as a casual joke about neatness; it can trivialize a medical condition.
Sinonimi
obsessional (More clinical term, used mainly in medical contexts.)
Contrari
noncompulsive (Not involving compulsive or obsession-driven patterns.)
Collocazioni
obsessive symptoms
|obsessive anxiety
|obsessive fears
|obsessive rumination
|obsessive-compulsive
|obsessive rituals
|obsessive disorder
|obsessive thoughts
|obsessive behavior
|obsessive tendencies
Temi
mental_health
|medicine
Esempi
- The therapist asked about obsessive thoughts and any rituals used to reduce anxiety.
- Some people experience obsessive fears without obvious compulsions.
- Medication helped reduce her obsessive symptoms.
Esempi per chi studia
- He talked to a doctor about obsessive thoughts.
Sostantivo
informal
C1
role
4
a person who is obsessive
An obsessive is someone who is obsessed with something.
Schema d'uso:
an obsessive; [topic] obsessives
Errore comune:
This noun use is less common than the adjective; often English uses ‘an obsessive person’ instead.
Sinonimi
fanatic (Stronger and often more emotional; can sound critical.)
|
addict (Informal; suggests dependence, sometimes exaggerated.)
Contrari
nonchalant (A person who seems not to care much.)
Collocazioni
fitness obsessives
|tech obsessives
|control obsessives
|detail obsessives
|sports obsessives
|food obsessives
|cleaning obsessives
|work obsessives
Temi
people
|personality
Esempi
- He’s a total sports obsessive and never misses a game.
- The forum is full of camera obsessives comparing tiny differences in lenses.
Esempi per chi studia
- She is a music obsessive.
Grammatica
Forma base
obsessive
IPA
GB/əbsˈɛsɪv/
US/əbsˈɛsɪv/
Sillabe e accento
ob - sess - ive (3 sillabe)
Stress on 2nd syllable (sess)
Forme flesse
Adjective
- Base: obsessive
Noun
- Base: obsessive
- Plural: obsessives
Famiglia di parole
Espressioni
be obsessive about [something]
1/bˈi əbsˈɛsɪv əbˈaʊt sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
care too much about something
To be obsessive about something means to think about it too much.
Esempi
- He’s obsessive about his diet and won’t eat anything with sugar.
- Don’t be obsessive about the typos—we can fix them later.
- She became obsessive about what people thought of her.
obsessive attention to detail
1/əbsˈɛsɪv ətˈɛnʃən tə dˈiteɪl/
fixed phrase
extreme focus on small details
Very strong focus on small details.
Esempi
- Her obsessive attention to detail slows the team down.
- The model was built with obsessive attention to detail.
- He’s known for obsessive attention to detail in his reports.
obsessive thoughts
1/əbsˈɛsɪv θˈɔts/
fixed phrase
repeated unwanted thoughts
Obsessive thoughts are thoughts you can’t stop having.
Esempi
- She struggled with obsessive thoughts about germs.
- Stress can make obsessive thoughts feel louder and more urgent.
- He learned strategies to respond differently to obsessive thoughts.
obsessive-compulsive
1/əbsˈɛsɪv kəmpˈʌlsɪv/
fixed phrase
technical
having OCD-like traits
Obsessive-compulsive means related to OCD or similar repeated thoughts and actions.
Esempi
- The clinician noted obsessive-compulsive symptoms, including repeated hand-washing.
- He described obsessive-compulsive behaviors that took hours each day.
obsessive-compulsive
1/əbsˈɛsɪv kəmpˈʌlsɪv/
fixed phrase
Related to obsessions and compulsions
Obsessive-compulsive behavior involves repeated unwanted thoughts and repeated actions that are hard to stop.
Esempi
- The therapist asked about his obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
- She showed some obsessive-compulsive tendencies, especially around checking locks.
- The study looked at obsessive-compulsive behavior in children and teenagers.
obsessive-compulsive disorder
1/əbsˈɛsɪv kəmpˈʌlsɪv dɪsˈɔɹdɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
OCD mental health condition
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is when unwanted thoughts and repeated actions are hard to control.
Esempi
- He was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder in his twenties.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder can involve compulsive checking or mental rituals.
- Treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder often includes therapy and, sometimes, medication.
obsessive-compulsive disorder
1/əbsˈɛsɪv kəmpˈʌlsɪv dɪsˈɔɹdɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
Anxiety-related mental health condition
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a condition that makes someone have repeated unwanted thoughts and do repeated actions to reduce anxiety.
Esempi
- She was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder in her early twenties.
- Treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder often includes therapy and sometimes medication.
- His obsessive-compulsive disorder made everyday tasks take much longer.