possessed

[ puh-zest ]
/ pəˈzɛst /

adjective

spurred or moved by a strong feeling, madness, or a supernatural power (often followed by by, of, or with): The army fought as if possessed. The village believed her to be possessed of the devil.
self-possessed; poised.

Idioms for possessed

    possessed of, having; possessing: He is possessed of intelligence and ambition.

Origin of possessed

First recorded in 1525–35; possess + -ed2

OTHER WORDS FROM possessed

pos·sess·ed·ly [puh-zes-id-lee, -zest-lee] /pəˈzɛs ɪd li, -ˈzɛst li/, adverb pos·sess·ed·ness, noun non·pos·sessed, adjective un·pos·sessed, adjective

Words nearby possessed

poss., posse, posse comitatus, posser, possess, possessed, possessed by, possessed, the, possession, possession is nine points of the law, possession order

British Dictionary definitions for possessed by

possessed
/ (pəˈzɛst) /

adjective

(foll by of) owning or having
(usually postpositive) under the influence of a powerful force, such as a spirit or strong emotion
a less common word for self-possessed

Idioms and Phrases with possessed by

possessed by

Driven by, obsessed with, as in He was possessed by the idea of becoming a millionaire. This idiom employs possess in the sense of “dominate one's thoughts or ideas,” a usage dating from the late 1500s.