obsessives
People who fixate
Obsessives are people who fixate intensely on particular subjects, activities, or thoughts.
The term can be clinical, describing those with obsessive tendencies or disorders, but more often it's informal shorthand for anyone who pursues something with unusual single-mindedness: The forum attracted obsessives who catalogued every detail of the show.
The word carries a hint of excess—dedication tipping into compulsion.
Compulsive repetition disorder
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
- compulsionsUncontrollable urges to act
- ritualsCeremonial repeated practices
- checkingAct of verification
perfectionism · control · rumination · hyperfocus · neurosis · monomania · fixation · preoccupation
Intensely emotional or enthusiastic
- relentlessContinuing without pause
- drivenIntensely determined to achieve
- fanaticalExtremely and uncritically devoted
- ferventIntensely and sincerely felt
zealous · ardent · dedicated · devoted · tireless · persistent · unyielding · determined
Those who systematically acquire
- enthusiastsPeople deeply into something
- aficionadosArdent, knowledgeable enthusiasts
- devoteesPassionate adherents
- puristsStrict adherence advocates
diehards · buffs · connoisseurs · fanciers · hobbyists · nerds · geeks · fanatics
Persistent mental attachment
- compulsionIrresistible urge to act
- preoccupationAbsorbing mental focus
- single-mindednessExclusive focus on purpose
- hoardingExcessive accumulation of goods
cataloging · collecting · researching · documenting · tracking · monitoring · curating · archiving
Synthetic resin plastic
- sneakersCasual athletic footwear
- watchesPortable personal clocks
- memorabiliaCollected items of significance
- triviaUnimportant miscellaneous facts
statistics · lore · minutiae · ephemera · rarities · antiques · vintage · autographs
OCD
Compulsive repetition disorder
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
- compulsionsUncontrollable urges to act
- ritualsCeremonial repeated practices
checking · perfectionism · control · rumination · hyperfocus · neurosis · monomania · fixation · preoccupation · perseveration
passionate
Intensely emotional or enthusiastic
- relentlessContinuing without pause
- drivenIntensely determined to achieve
- fanaticalExtremely and uncritically devoted
fervent · zealous · ardent · dedicated · devoted · tireless · persistent · unyielding · determined · meticulous
collectors
Those who systematically acquire
- enthusiastsPeople deeply into something
- aficionadosArdent, knowledgeable enthusiasts
- devoteesPassionate adherents
purists · diehards · buffs · connoisseurs · fanciers · hobbyists · nerds · geeks · fanatics · completists
fixation
Persistent mental attachment
- compulsionIrresistible urge to act
- preoccupationAbsorbing mental focus
- single-mindednessExclusive focus on purpose
hoarding · cataloging · collecting · researching · documenting · tracking · monitoring · curating · archiving · organizing
vinyl
Synthetic resin plastic
- sneakersCasual athletic footwear
- watchesPortable personal clocks
- memorabiliaCollected items of significance
trivia · statistics · lore · minutiae · ephemera · rarities · antiques · vintage · autographs · collectibles
- fansfan, sports fan, superfan, superfans, die-hard fan
- patientspatient, inpatients, inpatient, outpatients, outpatient
- overthinkersworriers, overthinkers, analyzers, ruminators, ponderers
obsessivesdabblers
Those who engage superficially
dilettantes · hobbyists · amateurs · tourists · samplers
obsessivesgeneralists
Those with broad expertise
polymaths · Renaissance men · Renaissance women · jacks-of-all-trades · dilettantes
- obsessive thoughtsPersistent unwanted mental intrusions
- obsessive-compulsive disorderAnxiety disorder with rituals
- obsessive compulsive disorderAnxiety disorder with repetitive behaviors
- obsessive behaviorPersistent unwanted repetitive actions