hyperfixation

Etymology

From hyper- + fixation.

hyperfixation means A complete obsession or absorption in a subject or hobby to a point where a person appears to completely tune out their surroundings and where the person repeatedly returns to said subject or material. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.

Why “hyperfixation” is a great word

HYPERFIXATION — [Noun] An intense, often involuntary, absorption in a subject or activity to the exclusion of other concerns. From the English prefix hyper- ("over, beyond, excessive") + fixation (from Latin *figere*, "to fasten"). Unlike a "special interest," which is a durable, integrated passion, or an "obsession," which carries a burdensome compulsion, hyperfixation is the state of being riveted by an engine of engagement that runs its own fuel. It is the frantic click of keyboard keys until dawn bleaches the screen, the world narrowing to the geometry of a jigsaw piece, the deep plunge into a coding problem until sunrise feels like an interruption—a magnificent, temporary monotheism of the mind.

noun

A complete obsession or absorption in a subject or hobby to a point where a person appears to completely tune out their surroundings and where the person repeatedly returns to said subject or material.