Infatuation
noun /ɪnˌfætʃuˈeɪʃən/ — Intense attraction that hasn't been tested by reality yet.
Definition
An intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone or something; attraction so powerful it temporarily overrides judgment.
Beyond the definition
The difference between infatuation and love is often only time — infatuation is what love feels like before it's encountered the real person rather than the imagined one. That doesn't make it less real. It just makes it potentially temporary.
Origin & history
From Latin infatuare — to make a fool of (in- 'into' + fatuus 'foolish'). The root implies that infatuation does something to your judgment.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She recognised it as infatuation — and kept going anyway.
Infatuation narrows the world to one person, which is both the pleasure and the problem.
His infatuation with the startup idea led him to miss things he should have seen.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Infatuation” when the meaning fits your context: An intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone or something; attraction so powerful it temporarily overrides judgment.
Synonyms
obsession, crush, passion, fixation, enchantment
Antonyms
indifference, disenchantment, clarity
Related words
Infatuation vs crush
Infatuation is a state of intense, often irrational attraction. A crush is a temporary, frequently lighthearted romantic interest that is common in youth.
Word in the Wild
Illustrative story: an imagined scene, not a documented event or interview.
The first three weeks she couldn't eat properly. She knew it was infatuation — she'd had it before, knew the architecture of it. But knowing what it was didn't make it less consuming.
She wrote about him in her journal as if she were describing a country she'd visited briefly and couldn't stop missing.
It lasted eleven weeks. Then one morning it simply was not there anymore — the way a weather front passes without announcement. She felt, alongside the relief, the faintest and most irrational grief.
Questions about this word
What does "Infatuation" mean?
Infatuation is noun meaning: Intense attraction that hasn't been tested by reality yet.. An intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone or something; attraction so powerful it temporarily overrides judgment.
Which words express “being consumed by someone”?
Infatuation — Intense attraction that hasn't been tested by reality yet.
Where does the word "Infatuation" come from?
From Latin infatuare — to make a fool of (in- 'into' + fatuus 'foolish'). The root implies that infatuation does something to your judgment.