fixated; fixating
1
: to focus or concentrate one's gaze or attention intently or obsessively
… he was fixating on the airport in the distance, trying to find the assigned runway.—
Richard L. Collins
Richard L. Collins… the tourist mind tended to fixate on ice cream cones …—T. Coraghessan Boyle
T. Coraghessan Boyle2
: to undergo arrestment at a stage of development
1
: to make fixed, stationary, or unchanging
2
: to focus one's gaze on
3
: to direct (the libido) toward an infantile form of gratification
Examples of fixate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In a culture fixated by fame, namelessness evidently held an even higher currency.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 3 May 2026
Since the initiation of the geopolitical conflict with Iran and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz in late February 2026, the global economic narrative has been fixated on headline inflation, central bank interest rates, and disrupted supply chains.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 2 May 2026
Their history adds a third layer to the depth of Lux; Hemlocke Springs similarly fixates on religious motifs on The Apple Tree Under the Sea.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 2 May 2026
Perhaps, then, fixating on the ground rules, like Nelson did, isn’t the right approach.
—Quanta Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fixate
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Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 3 May 2026
Since the initiation of the geopolitical conflict with Iran and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz in late February 2026, the global economic narrative has been fixated on headline inflation, central bank interest rates, and disrupted supply chains.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 2 May 2026
Their history adds a third layer to the depth of Lux; Hemlocke Springs similarly fixates on religious motifs on The Apple Tree Under the Sea.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 2 May 2026
Perhaps, then, fixating on the ground rules, like Nelson did, isn’t the right approach.
—Quanta Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fixate
Cite this Entry
“Fixate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fixate. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
fixate
verb
fix·ate
ˈfik-ˌsāt 
fixated; fixating
1
: to focus one's gaze on
2
: to direct (the libido) toward an infantile form of gratification
1
: to focus or concentrate one's gaze or attention
an infant with normal vision … will fixate on a light held before him—The Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association2
: to undergo arrestment at a stage of development
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