Cacoethes (Noun)
Meaning
An irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action.
Classification
Nouns denoting goals.
Examples
- The artist's cacoethes for perfection drove her to spend months tweaking her latest piece until she was finally satisfied with the result.
- His cacoethes for extreme sports led him to quit his steady job and travel the world in search of the next adrenaline rush.
- Despite the risks, she had a cacoethes for skydiving that she couldn't shake, no matter how many times her loved ones warned her to stop.
- The politician's cacoethes for power consumed him, leading him to make deals with unsavory characters and compromise his values.
- Her cacoethes for conspiracy theories led her down a rabbit hole of misinformation and paranoia, causing her to alienate friends and family.