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American Dictionary of the English Language

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Infatuate


INFAT'UATE, verb transitive [Latin infatuo; in and fatuus, foolish.]

1. To make foolish; to affect with folly; to weaken the intellectual powers, or to deprive of sound judgment. In general, this word does not signify to deprive absolutely of rational powers and reduce to idiocy, but to deprive of sound judgment, so that a person infatuated acts in certain cases as a fool, or without common discretion and prudence. Whom God intends to destroy, he first infatuates.

The judgment of God will be very visible in infatuating a people, ripe and prepared for destruction.

2. To prepossess or incline to a person or thing in a manner not justified by prudence or reason; to inspire with an extravagant or foolish passion, too obstinate to be controlled by reason. Men are often infatuated with a love of gaming, or of sensual pleasure.