fixate
/ˈfɪkseɪt/verb
fixate is spelled F-I-X-A-T-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 65,913th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, fixate means “To make something fixed and stable; to fix” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in fixate?
| Letters | 6: F-I-X-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 65,913th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is fixate?
Fixate appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 65,913th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce fixate?
- UK /fɪkˈseɪt/
- US /ˈfɪkseɪt/
Fixate has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-fixate.oga, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of fixate
- fixates present, singular, he/she/it
- fixating participle, present
- fixated participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does fixate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To make something fixed and stable; to fix.
- 2
To stare fixedly at something.
- 3
To attend to something to the exclusion of all others.
- 4
To attach oneself to a person or thing in a pathological, neurotic, or obsessive manner.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Fixate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | fixieren, festmachen, befestigen , seinen Blick heften auf , seine volle Aufmerksamkeit schenken |
| Spanish | fijar , encasquetársele (a), afanar (por/en), afanarse (por/en), estar topado (por/con), tener una fijación (con/por) |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does fixate come from?
From fix + -ate (verb-forming suffix) or Latin fixus (“fixed, solid”) + -ate.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).