infatuation means an immensely strong love or sexual attraction. It carries an Arena rating of 1356, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, infatuation ranks #1,386 of 25,264 for Qualifying, #2,328 of 14,438 for Most Storied Words, #2,708 of 14,322 for Scariest Words, #2,737 of 14,445 for Most Beautiful Words.
Why “infatuation” is a great word
An intense but often foolish and short-lived passion or admiration for someone or something. From Late Latin infatuātiōn-, the stem of infatuātiō, from infatuāre ('to make foolish'), from in- ('in, into') + fatuus ('foolish'), first recorded in English 1640–50. Unlike 'apathy', which hollows the chest with absence, or 'love', which implies a deep, patient construction, infatuation is a sudden, private conflagration. It is the giddy certainty upon a first glance across a room; the relentless scrutiny of a beloved’s social media feed; the feverish composition of a text that is written, rewritten, and never sent. This is the body’s brief rebellion against solitude, a glittering delirium that mistakes its own heat for lasting light.
noun
- An immensely strong love or sexual attraction.“As to the former, he is under a singular species of infatuation, to render himself thus subservient to the plans of Melliphant. Happily, however, we have effected our escape from them, and are on the road to our peaceful dwelling.”
- The act of infatuating; the state of being infatuated; madness.
- Something which infatuates.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.