infatuate
/ɪnˈfætjuˌ(w)eɪt/ verb, adjective, noun
Forms infatuates infatuating infatuated
- verb (transitive) To inspire with unreasoning love, attachment or enthusiasm.
- verb (transitive, obsolete) To make foolish.
- adjective (obsolete) Infatuated, foolishly attracted to someone.
- adjective (obsolete) Foolish, lacking good judgement.
- noun (obsolete) Infatuated person.
Etymology
First attested in 1533; from Middle English infatuate and/or borrowed from Latin infatuātus, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and Etymology 2 for more.
First attested in 1477, in Middle English; inherited from Middle English infatuate (“foolish”, adjective), from Latin infatuātus, perfect passive participle of infatuō, see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and -ate (noun-forming suffix).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Infatuated. Bp. Hall.
- verb To make foolish; to affect with folly; to weaken the intellectual powers of, or to deprive of sound judgment.
- verb To inspire with a foolish and extravagant passion; as, to be infatuated with gaming.
Etymology [L. infatuatus, p. p. of infatuare to infatuate; pref. in- in + fatuus foolish. See Fatuous.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “infatuate”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details