fixate meaning and examples

Meaning

Fixate means to become focused or obsessed with something or someone, often in an excessive or unhealthy way. It can also mean to focus one’s eyes or attention on something firmly.

Grammar and Usage

• Part of speech: Verb

• Forms: fixate, fixates, fixated, fixating

• Common structures:

  • fixate on/upon something — to obsessively focus attention on something
  • be fixated on/upon something — to describe a state of obsession

Examples of patterns:

• He fixated on the smallest details.
• She is fixated on her appearance.

Common Phrases

• fixate on the past – to be unable to move on from previous events
• fixate on success – to be overly focused on achieving success
• fixate on someone – to become emotionally or mentally obsessed with a person

Collocations

• fixate on details
• fixate on mistakes
• fixate on perfection
• be fixated with technology
• be fixated by fame

Examples

1. He tends to fixate on minor problems instead of seeing the bigger picture.
2. The media fixated on her relationship rather than her achievements.
3. She’s completely fixated on staying young.
4. Don’t fixate on what went wrong; think about how to improve.
5. As a child, he fixated on dinosaurs and learned every fact about them.
6. The fans were fixated by the celebrity’s private life.
7. Some people fixate on numbers instead of human outcomes.
8. He became fixated with the idea of becoming rich overnight.
9. She couldn’t help but fixate on the clock, waiting for the meeting to end.
10. The artist fixated on capturing light and shadow in his paintings.

Synonyms or Related

• obsess (over/about)
• dwell on
• concentrate on
• focus on
• preoccupy

Antonym

• overlook
• ignore
• disregard