POSSESSED Synonyms: 125 Similar and Opposite Words

possessed 1 of 2

adjective

pə-ˈzest

Definition of possessed

as in composed

free from emotional or mental agitation remarkably poised and possessed in the midst of all the turmoil

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

possessed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of possess

as in owned

to keep, control, or experience as one's own she possesses a keen insight into people

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of possessed

Adjective

Navarrette does her job like a pro, delivering a chilling performance as a possessed lovesick young woman, with the real Nikki being tortured and trying to break free. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 May 2026 Whether it was penned by Apa or some Brit with possessed hips, the song soon took off. — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2026

Verb

Joy wonders in a confessional if Gen was possessed by a zombie. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026 The new research also adds to the growing body of evidence that the moon once possessed a stronger magnetic field more than 4 billion years ago, said Isaac Narrett, lead author of the unrelated 2025 study on the lunar magnetic field. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for possessed

Recent Examples of Synonyms for possessed

Adjective

The British singer, 27, composed and co-wrote the lyrics with Bastian Langebæk and Max Wolfgang, according to the song credits on Spotify.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
The Emma style, a more composed and sensible block-heel pump, is for Elinor (Edgar-Jones).

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of composed

Verb

Investigations also could reach private businesses, such as those owned by billionaire GOP megadonor Elon Musk, that played a significant role in shaping administration policies.

— Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
During that time, Mallard owned Mallard Dynasty Realty Group, which provided real estate and property management services.

— Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of owned

Adjective

Data brokers legally comb the internet for such information, build profiles using the collected information, and sell those profiles to anyone who’ll pay.

— Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
Paired with the Emme play table, this duo creates the kind of collected look that feels professionally layered.

— Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 31 July 2026

Definition of collected

Verb

One was Larry Page, the 53-year-old Google cofounder who had ties to California for decades and began severing them after the wealth tax proposal.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Both events revealed that the old models of long- and short-duration GRBs had holes in them.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of had

Adjective

Clear skies and calm winds will help temperatures drop into the mid- to upper 30s by early Saturday, forecasters said.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
Methanol masers have previously been detected in planet-forming disks around turbulent high-mass protostars, but COMPASS’ observations are the first detection of them around calmer lower-mass protostars.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of calm

Verb

Despite a heavy airstrike campaign and a large ground offensive, Houthi rebels have retained control over key locations and have continued launching missiles and drones at their adversaries.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
The team retained approximately 8 petabytes for scientific analysis.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of retained

Adjective

Reinhardt’s reporting points to the overuse of grammatical structures and specific words, such as serene or careful, which LLM’s tend to use more frequently than humans.

— Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Other previous winners include a school in rural Brazil, a university in Lima, Peru, and a serene hospital in a remote, flood-prone area of Bangladesh.

— Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of serene

Verb

The luxury property is located along Mexico's Riviera Nayarit coast, where the women enjoyed beach outings and spa treatments.

— Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Her cart included a Wegmans strawberry shortcake that her family in New York enjoyed during the holidays.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of enjoyed

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Style

“Possessed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/possessed. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of possessed

adjective

verb

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