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

Craig Claiborne wrote about it in 1963, when he was deep in his infatuation with dill and meatballs and all things Nordic.

—Amanda Hesser

2

: 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

Synonyms

• crush
• mash
• passion

Examples of infatuation in a Sentence

had a brief infatuation with the captain of the ski team

Recent Examples on the Web

Additionally, the healthiest relationships grow when partners prioritize their mutual emotional readiness over a sense of convenience or infatuation. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025

One aspect of the clash that intrigued Hunte the most was the youth's infatuation, which may point to how things shake out in the future. —Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2025

His commitment to remaining honest results in some bracing scenes — ones that don’t necessarily clarify what went on but play like rigorous self-interrogations along the whole spectrum of heartbreak, loss, resentment, and infatuation. —Ryan Leas, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2025

The documentary significantly adds to the origin story, tracing Reubens’ early days and infatuation with TV kids’ shows and Disney movies — Pollyanna was a favorite — and fleshing out the family’s move to Florida. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing infatuation

• self-infatuation

Rhymes for infatuation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration