infatuation
Americannoun
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the state of being infatuated.
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the act of infatuating.
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foolish or all-absorbing passion or an instance of this.
a mere infatuation that will not last.
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the object of a person's infatuation.
When I was a kid, my infatuation was stamp collecting.
noun
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the act of infatuating or state of being infatuated
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foolish or extravagant passion
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an object of foolish or extravagant passion
Usage
What does infatuation mean? Infatuation is the state of being infatuated—being absorbed with an extreme passion for someone or something, especially in a way that makes you foolish or unreasonable about it.Infatuation is often used to refer to the state of someone who has fallen in love with a person without really knowing them. But it can refer to any obsessive or passionate focus, such as on an activity or goal. A person who’s affected this way can be described as infatuated.The word infatuation can also refer to the object of this focus, as in Who’s that you’re staring at—your latest infatuation? Someone or something considered an infatuation can be described as infatuating.Much less commonly, infatuation can refer to the act of infatuating.Example: Your infatuation with him is clouding your judgment.
Etymology
Origin of infatuation
First recorded in 1640–50, infatuation is from the Late Latin word infatuātiōn- (stem of infatuātiō ). See infatuate, -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
By the way, Ng confirms that bald eagle infatuation is very much an American enterprise.
From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026
The fetishized infatuation with “Heated Rivalry” doesn’t just stop at the characters; it’s now extending to the actors as well.
From Salon • Jan. 2, 2026
It was only when I started writing and speaking about the joys of my AI coach that I began to see how my AI infatuation had affected my human relationships.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025
The premium could be worth it as long as AI infatuation continues.
From Barron's • Oct. 6, 2025
Fingers and strings made a careful conversation, as if their dance described the lines of an infatuation.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
