ob|sessed /əbse st/ ADJ If someone is obsessed with a person or thing, they keep thinking about them and find it difficult to think about anything else. □ [+ with ] He was obsessed with American gangster movies. □ [+ by ] She wasn't in love with Steve, she was obsessed by him physically.
ob|ses|sion /əbse ʃ ə n/ (obsessions ) N‑VAR If you say that someone has an obsession with a person or thing, you think they are spending too much time thinking about them. □ [+ with ] She would try to forget her obsession with Christopher. □ 95% of patients know their obsessions are irrational.
ob|ses|sion|al /əbse ʃən ə l/ ADJ Obsessional means the same as obsessive . □ She became almost obsessional about the way she looked.
ob|ses|sive /əbse s I v/ (obsessives )
1 ADJ If someone's behaviour is obsessive , they cannot stop doing a particular thing or behaving in a particular way. □ [+ about ] Williams is obsessive about motor racing. ● ob|ses|sive|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ He couldn't help worrying obsessively about what would happen. □ The Ministry is being obsessively secretive about the issue.
2 N‑COUNT An obsessive is someone who is obsessive about something or who behaves in an obsessive way. □ I am not an obsessive. Not at all.
obse ssive-compu lsive dis|o r|der N‑UNCOUNT If someone suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder , they cannot stop doing a particular thing, for example washing their hands.
ob|so|les|cence /ɒ bsəle s ə ns/ N‑UNCOUNT Obsolescence is the state of being no longer needed because something newer or more efficient has been invented. □ The aircraft was nearing obsolescence by early 1942.
ob|so|les|cent /ɒ bsəle s ə nt/ ADJ If something is obsolescent , it is no longer needed because something better has been invented. □ …outmoded, obsolescent equipment.
ob|so|lete /ɒ bsəliː t/ ADJ Something that is obsolete is no longer needed because something better has been invented. □ So much equipment becomes obsolete almost as soon as it's made.
ob|sta|cle /ɒ bstək ə l/ (obstacles )
1 N‑COUNT An obstacle is an object that makes it difficult for you to go where you want to go, because it is in your way. □ Most competition cars will only roll over if they hit an obstacle. □ He left her to navigate her own way round the trolleys and other obstacles.
2 N‑COUNT You can refer to anything that makes it difficult for you to do something as an obstacle . □ [+ to ] Overcrowding remains a large obstacle to improving conditions. □ To succeed, you must learn to overcome obstacles.
o b|sta|cle course (obstacle courses ) N‑COUNT In a race, an obstacle course is a series of obstacles that people have to go over or round in order to complete the race.
ob|ste|tri|cian /ɒ bstətr I ʃ ə n/ (obstetricians ) N‑COUNT An obstetrician is a doctor who is specially trained to deal with pregnant women and with women who are giving birth. [MEDICAL ]
ob|stet|rics /ɒbste tr I ks/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Obstetrics is the branch of medicine that is concerned with pregnancy and giving birth. [MEDICAL ]
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Obstetric medicine and care is concerned with pregnancy and giving birth. [MEDICAL ] □ For a child to be born with this disability indicates a defect in obstetric care.
ob|sti|nate /ɒ bst I nət/
1 ADJ If you describe someone as obstinate , you are being critical of them because they are very determined to do what they want, and refuse to change their mind or be persuaded to do something else. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He is obstinate and determined and will not give up. ● ob|sti|nate|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ I stayed obstinately in my room, sitting by the phone. ● ob|sti|na|cy N‑UNCOUNT □ I might have become a dangerous man with all that stubbornness and obstinacy built into me.
2 ADJ You can describe things as obstinate when they are difficult to move, change, or destroy. □ …rusted farm equipment strewn among the obstinate weeds. ● ob|sti|nate|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ …the door of the shop which obstinately stayed closed when he tried to push it open.
ob|strep|er|ous /ɒbstre pərəs/ ADJ If you say that someone is obstreperous , you think that they are noisy and difficult to control. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ You know I have no intention of being awkward and obstreperous.
ob|struct /ɒbstrʌ kt/ (obstructs , obstructing , obstructed )
1 VERB If something obstructs a road or path, it blocks it, stopping people or vehicles getting past. □ [V n] Tractors and container lorries have completely obstructed the road.
2 VERB To obstruct someone or something means to make it difficult for them to move forward by blocking their path. □ [V n] A number of local people have been arrested for trying to obstruct lorries loaded with logs.
3 VERB To obstruct progress or a process means to prevent it from happening properly. □ [V n] The authorities are obstructing a United Nations investigation.
4 VERB If someone or something obstructs your view, they are positioned between you and the thing you are trying to look at, stopping you from seeing it properly. □ [V n] Claire positioned herself so as not to obstruct David's line of sight.
ob|struc|tion /ɒbstrʌ kʃ ə n/ (obstructions )
1 N‑COUNT An obstruction is something that blocks a road or path. □ John was irritated by drivers parking near his house and causing an obstruction.