fixated; fixating
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
1
: to focus or concentrate one's gaze or attention intently or obsessively
2
: to undergo arrestment at a stage of development
Examples of fixate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some teams — Stoke in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Brentford now — might find that fixating on long throw-ins works.
—
Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
But, as a girl, she was fixated on sweets for a sense of comfort and reward.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
While headlines fixate on interest rates, the deeper risk is the vast stock of outdated buildings that no longer fit modern life.
—Amachie Ackah, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025
People always kind of fixate on these things, with celebrities, with royalty, and even politicians.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fixate
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Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
But, as a girl, she was fixated on sweets for a sense of comfort and reward.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
While headlines fixate on interest rates, the deeper risk is the vast stock of outdated buildings that no longer fit modern life.
—Amachie Ackah, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025
People always kind of fixate on these things, with celebrities, with royalty, and even politicians.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fixate
Cite this Entry
“Fixate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fixate. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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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