hypercathexis

/ˌhaɪ.pɚ.kəˈθɛk.sɪs/

hypercathexis means an excessive concentration of mental energy on an object or person. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.

hypercathexis is pronounced /ˌhaɪ.pɚ.kəˈθɛk.sɪs/.

Why “hypercathexis” is a great word

HYPERCATHEXIS — [Noun] An excessive, often pathological concentration of mental or emotional energy upon a single object, idea, or person. From the prefix hyper- (from Ancient Greek ὑπέρ, meaning "over, above, beyond") + cathexis (from Ancient Greek κάθεξις, meaning "holding, retention", used in psychoanalysis to denote the investment of mental or emotional energy). Coined in 1923 by Sigmund Freud. Unlike "cathexis," which denotes a typical psychic investment, or "decathexis," which describes its withdrawal, hypercathexis is a fixation that borders on pathology. It is the obsessive polishing of a single trinket until the brass wears thin, the ceaseless internal replay of a grievance, or the haunting image that displaces all others—a testament to the psyche's terrifying capacity to make a prison of its most treasured thought.

Etymology

From hyper- + cathexis.

noun

An excessive concentration of mental energy on an object or person.