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 Boyle
2
: 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
Romvari is just getting started in her career, while still determined to keep her expectations manageable — her gaze fixated squarely on creating and improving. —David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026 The national debate on healthcare costs often fixates on single solutions. —Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026 Worrying about chip speed is like fixating on a car’s horsepower; most people will never even come close to needing maximum power or speed. —Larry Magid, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026 Tubi Made 11 years before Life and Death, Broomfield’s first documentary on Aileen Wuornos captures the media circus surrounding America’s most famous female serial killer — including the bizarre story of a religious fanatic who fixated on and even attempted to adopt her. —Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fixate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026 The national debate on healthcare costs often fixates on single solutions. —Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026 Worrying about chip speed is like fixating on a car’s horsepower; most people will never even come close to needing maximum power or speed. —Larry Magid, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026 Tubi Made 11 years before Life and Death, Broomfield’s first documentary on Aileen Wuornos captures the media circus surrounding America’s most famous female serial killer — including the bizarre story of a religious fanatic who fixated on and even attempted to adopt her. —Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fixate
Cite this Entry
“Fixate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/fixate. Accessed 27 Apr. 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 Association
2
: to undergo arrestment at a stage of development
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