cacoethes

/ˌkækoʊˈiːθiz/
noun
  1. An irresistible urge or compulsion to do something, especially something unwise or harmful.
    • She had a cacoethes for buying old books she never read.
    • His cacoethes to interrupt every conversation annoyed his coworkers.
    • The artist's cacoethes to keep painting even when exhausted led to a masterpiece.
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