infatuate

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: in=fat=u=ate

CIDE DICTIONARY

infatuate, a. [L. infatuatus, p. p. of infatuare to infatuate; pref. in- in + fatuus foolish. See Fatuous.].

 Infatuated.  Bp. Hall.  [1913 Webster]

infatuate, v. t. 

•  To make foolish; to affect with folly; to weaken the intellectual powers of, or to deprive of sound judgment.  [1913 Webster]

  "The judgment of God will be very visible in infatuating a people . . . ripe and prepared for destruction."  [1913 Webster]
•  To inspire with a foolish and extravagant passion; as, to be infatuated with gaming.  [1913 Webster]

  "The people are . . . infatuated with the notion."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

infatuate, v.tr.
1 inspire with intense usu. transitory fondness or admiration.
2 affect with extreme folly.

Derivative

infatuation n.

Etymology

L infatuare (as IN-(2), fatuus foolish)

THESAURUS

infatuate

addict, admirer, adorer, aficionado, allure, amorist, attract, becharm, befool, beguile, beset, besotted, bewitch, buff, bug, captivate, carry away, cast a spell, charm, collector, compel, crank, demon, devotee, dotty, draw on, drive, dupe, eager beaver, enamor, enamored, enchant, endear, energumen, enrapture, enravish, enthrall, enthusiast, entrance, faddist, fan, fanatic, fanatico, fascinate, fiend, follower, freak, great one for, grip, gull, hobbyist, hold, hold in thrall, hound, hypnotize, impel, inflame with love, intrigue, lover, lunatic fringe, mesmerize, monomaniac, not let go, nut, obsess, paramour, possess, preoccupy, pursuer, put on, rhapsodist, seduce, spell, spellbind, stultify, sucker for, suitor, tantalize, tempt, transport, vamp, visionary, witch, wooer, zealot

ROGET THESAURUS

infatuate

Insanity

VB be insane, become insane, lose one's senses, lose one's reason, lose one's faculties, lose one's wits, go mad, run mad, lose one's marbles, go crazy, go bonkers, flip one's wig, flip one's lid, flip out, flip one's bush, rave, dote, ramble, wander, drivel, have a screw loose, have a devil, avoir le diable au corps, lose one's head, render mad, drive mad, madden, dementate, addle the wits, addle the brain, derange the head, infatuate, befool, turn the brain, turn one's head, drive one nuts.