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fixation
This term carries a heavy weight of intensity and rigidity. It describes a mental state where the focus is not just strong, but locked, often to the point of being unhealthy or irrational. It differs from a passion or an interest because it implies a lack of flexibility and a compulsive quality that the person cannot easily switch off. In technical or medical contexts, the word shifts toward physical stability. It refers to the mechanical process of securing an object so it cannot move. This creates a linguistic parallel between the mental state of being stuck and the physical state of being bolted down, both revolving around the concept of immobility.
Countable when referring to a specific object of obsession, such as a fixation on a celebrity. Uncountable when referring to the general psychological process of becoming fixed.
Meanings
An obsessive interest in or feeling about someone or something.
"His fixation with vintage clocks became a full-time hobby."
The act of making something firm or stable.
"The fixation of the surgical implant requires titanium screws."
A psychological state where emotional development is arrested at a certain stage.
"The therapist identified an oral fixation in the patient."