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.
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.
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Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Fleeting Moment of Intense Attraction
Two adults stand at opposite sides of a crowded room sharing a brief, intense, and hesitant look.
The shared gaze illustrates the magnetic, focused power of infatuation, where interest temporarily overrides other concerns. The gap between them underscores that this passion is often an unbridged, internal state rather than a stable, mutual connection built on deep reality.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration