infatuation

noun

in·​fat·​u·​a·​tion in-ˌfa-chə-ˈwā-shən How to pronounce infatuation (audio)
-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

Examples of infatuation in a Sentence

had a brief infatuation with the captain of the ski team
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The object of Vanya’s mad infatuation is Yelena (Ito Aghayere), the much younger wife of the retired professor, Alexandre (Tom Nelis), who was married to Vanya’s late sister. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025 Thus begins an addictive of melding personal infatuation with messy dynamics, as spirits of domination and naivete co-mingle. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2025 Philadelphia has a growing infatuation with the game, is hosting World Cup matches next year and adores the Union, which last year signed teenage phenom Cavan Sullivan. Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 6 Mar. 2025 In Japan, where the flowers and the world’s infatuation with them originated, the cherry blossom (sakura in Japanese) symbolizes the fleeting nature of life. Alina Polishuk, AFAR Media, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for infatuation

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of infatuation was in 1648

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Cite this Entry

“Infatuation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infatuation. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

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