Obsessor

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual who is excessively preoccupied with a particular entity or topic, often leading to compulsive behavior
2. A person who shows an extreme and continual fascination with someone or something, resulting in obsessive thoughts or actions
3. A person characterized by an overwhelming fixation on a specific subject or individual, which often manifests through persistent and compulsive behavior

Etymology: "Obsessor" is a plain formation: the verb "obsess" with the agent suffix "-or", which turns a verb into a noun for the one who performs the action. An obsessor is therefore someone who obsesses, or more loosely, a person fixated on another. The suffix itself came into English from Latin through Anglo-French, and it appears in older words such as "actor" and "donor," so the pattern is long established. The verb underneath carries most of the history. "Obsess" comes from the Latin "obsidere," meaning to besiege or sit down before a place, built from "ob-" (against, before) and "sedere" (to sit). The original picture is of an army encamped around a city, blockading it. The sense of a mind besieged by a single idea developed later, so the noun inherits a military image of a persistent presence that will not leave.

Synonyms: fanatic, addict, enthusiast, devotee, follower

Antonyms: detractor, critic, opponent, disbeliever, nonfan