What does obsessive mean?
Word: Obsessive
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Obsessive means thinking about one person, thing or idea far too much, in a way that is not reasonable or healthy.
Synonyms: fixated, compulsive, consuming
Antonyms: casual, relaxed, indifferent
Word origin: Comes from a Latin verb meaning to sit down in front of, built from ob, against, and sedere, to sit.
How do you spell obsessive?
Syllables: ob - ses - sive
Tricky part: The s letters come in a pattern: one s first, then a double s near the end. Doubling the first one is the common slip.
Watch out for: obssessive, obsesive
Memory tip: One s, then two: the s letters grow in number as the word goes on.
Obsessive in a sentence
Example 1: His interest in cricket scores has become almost obsessive.
Example 2: She is obsessive about keeping her desk neat, with every pen in a straight line.
Example 3: An obsessive fan waited outside the hotel for six hours.
Fun Fact
The Latin sedere, to sit, hidden in obsessive, also gave English sedentary, for a life spent mostly sitting down, and session, a period of sitting for a meeting or class.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Fusion
Which two parts join to make the word described? Unable to let go of one thought or interest, even when it gets in the way of daily life.
1. pro 2. ment 3. obsess 4. ful 5. ance 6. ive
a) 3 and 6
b) 3 and 2
c) 3 and 4
d) 1 and 5
Show answer
a) 3 and 6. The verb takes the adjective ending; obsessment and obsessful are not words.
Word Tally
How many words are misspelt in the given sentence?
Rohan's obsessive checking of the cricket score on his phone during dinner anoyed his grandmother so much that she hid the charger.
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) 0
Show answer
a) 1. Annoyed needs two n letters, so there is just one error.
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) massive : massively
b) active : actively
c) obsessive : obsessively
d) decisive : decisivly
Show answer
d) decisive : decisivly. Decisive keeps its e before -ly: decisively.
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
123456789 sieobvess
a) 415389267
b) 451389267
c) 987654321
d) 541389762
Show answer
b) 451389267. Those numbers rebuild the word, one s and then two.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which habit would most people call obsessive?
a) locking the door once when you go out
b) leaving a window open on a hot day
c) asking a neighbour to water the plants
d) checking a locked door twenty times before leaving
Show answer
d) checking a locked door twenty times before leaving
2. If a hobby becomes obsessive, what is most likely happening?
a) it costs no money at all, even for the materials
b) it takes up time meant for meals, sleep and friends
c) the whole family enjoys it together at weekends
d) it is done only during the summer holidays
Show answer
b) it takes up time meant for meals, sleep and friends
