infatuate
UK[ɪnˈfætʃueɪt]US[ɪnˈfætʃueɪt]
v
To cause someone to have strong, foolish, and often temporary feelings of love or passion for someone or something.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
fatu
ate
in
in, into, on, upon.
fatu
foolish, silly, insipid.
ate
to make, cause to become, or act upon.
Etymology
The word 'infatuate' originates from the Late Latin verb infatuare, meaning "to make a fool of." This Latin verb is a compound of the prefix in- (here signifying "into a state of") and the adjective fatuus, meaning "foolish" or "insipid." The literal sense is "to cause someone to become foolish." Over time, the meaning specialized to describe the specific folly of being carried away by a foolish or unreasoning passion, typically romantic love. Thus, the modern abstract meaning retains the core logic of the original morphemes: to be put into a foolish state.
Analysis
Structure: in + fatu + ate
- in: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "in, into, on, upon." In this context, it signifies a state of being.
- fatu: From Latin fatuus, meaning "foolish, silly, insipid." This is the core root conveying the sense of folly.
- ate: A verbal suffix of Latin origin (-atus), used to form verbs meaning "to make, cause to become, or act upon."
Examples
He was completely infatuated with his new colleague, unable to concentrate on anything else.
The public was briefly infatuated with the latest technological fad.
She warned her friend not to be infatuated by his charming but insincere compliments.