Obsessed with means unable to think about anything else: He's obsessed with football. It's followed by a noun or a verb with -ing: obsessed with winning. In conversation, the phrase often sounds lighter than its dictionary definition.
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be/become obsessed with + noun/-ing; an obsession with + noun
- I was obsessed with K-pop as a teenager and knew every song by heart.
- She's obsessed with keeping her desk perfectly tidy.
- My flatmate is obsessed with the new coffee place round the corner.
What changed
First versionMy son is obsessed on dinosaurs: he knows every name.
RevisionMy son is obsessed with dinosaurs: he knows every name.
Phrases like fixated on or hooked on make on seem natural. But obsessed takes with: obsessed with dinosaurs. Nothing else in the sentence changes.
In conversation, obsessed with often just means “I love it, I can't get enough”: I'm obsessed with this cake is a playful exaggeration. The worrying sense comes in when the behaviour gets in the way of life: He's obsessed with checking his phone. The object gives it away: a cake or a TV series means delight, a compulsive habit means a problem.
Your turn
Ever since he got the new phone, he's been completely ___ taking photos of his food.
Show the answer
obsessed with — Obsessed takes with: obsessed with taking photos. On may seem natural by analogy with phrases like hooked on, but it isn't used after obsessed.
Describe something you or someone you know was obsessed with. Say exactly what it was and how long it lasted.
Last year my brother was obsessed with chess and played online every night for about six months.
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