obsessive
/əbˈsɛs.ɪv/adjective, noun
obsessive is spelled O-B-S-E-S-S-I-V-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 2.7 times per million words in written English, the 16,455th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, obsessive means “Prone to cause obsession” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in obsessive?
| Letters | 9: O-B-S-E-S-S-I-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.7 times per million words; the 16,455th 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 obsessive?
Obsessive appears 2.7 times per million words in written English, the 16,455th 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 obsessive?
- /əbˈsɛs.ɪv/
Obsessive has 3 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-obsessive.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of obsessive
- more obsessive comparative
- most obsessive superlative
- obsessives plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does obsessive mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Prone to cause obsession.
The idea is too tempting, it's obsessive.
- 2
Having one thought or pursuing one activity (an obsession) to the absolute or nearly absolute exclusion of all others.
Hardcore fans' obsessive behavior may take over their lives.
- 3
Excessive, as results from obsession.
A workaholic's obsessive zeal may lead to success or burnout.
noun
- 1
A person who is obsessed, who has an obsession.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Obsessive in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | obsessif , obsédé |
| German | obsessiv, zwanghaft , besessen |
| Portuguese | obsessivo |
| Spanish | obsesivo |
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 obsessive come from?
From obsess + -ive.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).