verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/fɪkˈseɪt/
US:/ˈfɪkseɪt/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪt
CMU ARPABET:F IH1 K S EY2 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To make something fixed and stable; to fix.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To stare fixedly at something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To attend to something to the exclusion of all others.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To attach oneself to a person or thing in a pathological, neurotic, or obsessive manner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Topics: human-sciences, psychology, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
become fixed (on)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Her eyes fixated on a point on the horizon
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: settle on
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: freeze, stop dead
6
verb
Meaning 6
make fixed, stable or stationary
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
let's fix the picture to the frame
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fix
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: attach
7
verb
Meaning 7
pay attention to exclusively and obsessively
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The media are fixating on Princess Diana's death
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: attend, hang, advert, pay heed, give ear
8
verb
Meaning 8
attach (oneself) to a person or thing in a neurotic way
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
He fixates on his mother, even at the age of 40
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: bind, tie, attach, bond
History
Etymology
From fix + -ate (verb-forming suffix) or Latin fixus (“fixed, solid”) + -ate.
Across languages
Translations
52 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
ֆիքսել
(fikʻsel)
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
Bulgarian:
закрепвам
(zakrepvam)
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
Catalan:
fixar
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
Chinese Mandarin:
固定
(gùdìng)
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
Chinese Mandarin:
使穩定 /使稳定
(shǐ wěndìng)
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
Chinese Mandarin:
確立 /确立
(quèlì)
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
Finnish:
fikseerata
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
Finnish:
kiinnittää
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
German:
fixieren
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
German:
festmachen
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
German:
befestigen
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
Romanian:
fixa
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
Russian:
укрепля́ть
(ukrepljátʹ)
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
Russian:
укрепи́ть
(ukrepítʹ)
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
Russian:
закрепля́ть
(zakrepljátʹ)
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
Russian:
закрепи́ть
(zakrepítʹ)
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
Russian:
фикси́ровать
(fiksírovatʹ)
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
Russian:
зафикси́ровать
(zafiksírovatʹ)
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
Spanish:
fijar
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
Swedish:
fixera
— to make something fixed and stable; to fix
Bulgarian:
фиксирам
(fiksiram)
— to stare fixedly at something
Chinese Mandarin:
凝視 /凝视
(níngshì)
— to stare fixedly at something
Chinese Mandarin:
注視 /注视
(zhùshì)
— to stare fixedly at something
Finnish:
kiinnittää katseensa
— to stare fixedly at something
German:
fixieren
— to stare fixedly at something
German:
seinen Blick heften auf
— to stare fixedly at something
Romanian:
fixa
— to stare fixedly at something
Bulgarian:
спирам се на
(spiram se na)
— to attend to something to the exclusion of others
Chinese Mandarin:
專注於 /专注于
(zhuānzhù yú)
— to attend to something to the exclusion of others
Chinese Mandarin:
全神貫注 /全神贯注
(quánshénguànzhù)
— to attend to something to the exclusion of others
Chinese Mandarin:
專心致志 /专心致志
(zhuānxīnzhìzhì)
— to attend to something to the exclusion of others
Finnish:
fiksoitua
— to attend to something to the exclusion of others
Finnish:
keskittyä
— to attend to something to the exclusion of others
German:
seine volle Aufmerksamkeit schenken
— to attend to something to the exclusion of others
German:
sich vollständig konzentrieren
— to attend to something to the exclusion of others
Māori:
koromaki
— to attend to something to the exclusion of others
Spanish:
encasquetársele (a)
— to attend to something to the exclusion of others
Spanish:
afanar (por/en)
— to attend to something to the exclusion of others
Spanish:
afanarse (por/en)
— to attend to something to the exclusion of others
Spanish:
estar topado (por/con)
— to attend to something to the exclusion of others
Spanish:
tener una fijación (con/por)
— to attend to something to the exclusion of others
Swedish:
fokusera
— to attend to something to the exclusion of others
Chinese Mandarin:
執著 /执著
(zhízhuó)
— psychology: to attach oneself to a person or thing in a pathological, neurotic, or obsessive manner
Chinese Mandarin:
痴迷
(chīmí)
— psychology: to attach oneself to a person or thing in a pathological, neurotic, or obsessive manner
Finnish:
fiksoitua
— psychology: to attach oneself to a person or thing in a pathological, neurotic, or obsessive manner
Finnish:
takertua
— psychology: to attach oneself to a person or thing in a pathological, neurotic, or obsessive manner
Galician:
enteimar
— psychology: to attach oneself to a person or thing in a pathological, neurotic, or obsessive manner
German:
sich fixieren
— psychology: to attach oneself to a person or thing in a pathological, neurotic, or obsessive manner
Russian:
заци́кливаться
(zacíklivatʹsja)
— psychology: to attach oneself to a person or thing in a pathological, neurotic, or obsessive manner
Russian:
заци́клиться
(zacíklitʹsja)
— psychology: to attach oneself to a person or thing in a pathological, neurotic, or obsessive manner
Russian:
запада́ть
(zapadátʹ)
— psychology: to attach oneself to a person or thing in a pathological, neurotic, or obsessive manner
Russian:
запа́сть
(zapástʹ)
— psychology: to attach oneself to a person or thing in a pathological, neurotic, or obsessive manner
