obsess
UK[əbˈsɛs]US[əbˈsɛs]
v
To preoccupy or fill the mind of someone continually and to a troubling extent.
v
To haunt or excessively trouble someone.
Morpheme Breakdown
ob
sess
ob
against, towards
sess
sit
Etymology
The word "obsess" originates from the Latin verb obsidēre, meaning "to besiege," which is a compound of ob- ("against") and sedēre ("to sit"). The literal image is of an army sitting down against or besieging a town, surrounding it completely. This concrete military sense evolved metaphorically in English to describe a mind that is besieged or haunted by persistent, intrusive thoughts, feelings, or ideas. The transition from a physical blockade to a psychological state captures the essence of being mentally preoccupied to a troubling and inescapable degree.
Analysis
Structure: ob (against, towards) + sess (sit)
- ob: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "against," "towards," or "in the way of."
- sess: From Latin sessus, the past participle stem of sedēre, meaning "to sit."
Examples
He tends to obsess over minor details, which slows down the entire project.
The fear of failure began to obsess her in the weeks leading up to the exam.
Try not to obsess about things you cannot change.