4

For example someone who has bought a cellphone a week ago but now wants to change that and buy a new one; or imagine someone who wants and likes to have a sex with a woman or a man first he wants a tall one and just after the first or second sex he or she gets bored and wants a blonde one and then brunette and after that slender and so on . And I want to say someone who gets bored with having or doing something too soon.

To be clear, imagine someone who isn't going to be satisfied with something he has or has experienced already and wants to have and experience something else which he thinks it is better. There is a word fickle that is kind of similar to what I mean, but the definition is not what I'm looking for.

Improve this question
10
  • Someone who is always chasing novelty, who has the attitude that "the grass is always greener", or someone who is just never satisfied once they obtain the object of their desire (someone who likes the hunt)?
    – Kit Z. Fox ♦
    Nov 25, 2015 at 17:00
  • 2
    Edited to remove the first word "(Disapproval.)" from the description as it appeared to be either a copy/paste error or otherwise completely out of context; please feel free to re-insert it with additional clarification if there is something about that word that is relevant to this question. Thanks.
    – Nonnal
    Nov 25, 2015 at 17:12
  • @Nonnal I was looking for an equivalent in English but I have not found anything that can describe that.
    – haha
    Nov 25, 2015 at 17:32
  • If I could give a clue I would say something like " seeking diversity" but it is not correct.
    – haha
    Nov 25, 2015 at 17:39
  • 1
    @haha - Your question title doesn't match your question text. I'm tempted to say they're getting near to being opposite each other.
    – AndyT
    Nov 26, 2015 at 9:08

10 Answers 10

Reset to default
11

Although your question suggests that they are trying to experience the same thing again, each iteration sounds new; a new phone, a different person. At that rate, I'd propose:

Novelty seeking behaviour

I realize, this is not a single word, so you could amend it to: novelty-seeking. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novelty_seeking

Improve this answer
7
  • The reference to "obsessive" that OP makes suggests a possible patology.
    – user66974
    Nov 25, 2015 at 17:15
  • @Josh61 Agreed. This term is found as a descriptor and trait in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
    – Minnow
    Nov 25, 2015 at 17:19
  • @Minnow can we say "He is novelty- seeking" ?
    – haha
    Nov 25, 2015 at 20:16
  • @Josh61 Is "novelty seeking" a noun or an adjective?
    – haha
    Nov 25, 2015 at 20:59
  • 1
    I didn't mean someone who actually wishes to have something new, but someone who gets soon bored with something he already has and thinks it is not what he wants and tries and wishes to have or experience something else in the hope that next one satisfies him.
    – haha
    Nov 26, 2015 at 13:25
4

"Neophilia" is defined by Oxforddictionaries.com as "love of, preference for, or great interest in what is new; a love of novelty". From this, one might proceed to "neophile". Though this last is a less common usage, I did find a definition for it at Collinsdictionary.com, as an alternative form of "neophiliac".

Improve this answer
1
  • thanks but it is not what I mean.
    – haha
    Nov 25, 2015 at 18:19
4

You might consider insatiable

incapable of being satisfied

Improve this answer
4
  • I did't mean some one who always wants more and more of something. Actually some one who wants to change what he has or experience something different not just newer.
    – haha
    Nov 25, 2015 at 17:51
  • 1
    @haha- from your question: imagine someone who isn't going to be satisfied with something he has or has experienced already and wants to have and experience something new.
    – Jim
    Nov 25, 2015 at 17:54
  • I gave you two examples the second one "someone who likes to have a sex with a new woman or man as if he or she has something different or the experience is going to be way different (I know it is different but I mean in an obsessive way)." Imagine first he wants a tall girl and after that he wants a blonde and so on . And I want to say someone who gets bored from having or doing something too soon.
    – haha
    Nov 25, 2015 at 18:32
  • 3
    Yep, I’d call that person insatiable
    – Jim
    Nov 25, 2015 at 18:33
4

What about flighty?

: given to flights of fancy; capricious; frivolous.

: irresponsible

Capricious itself may also work.

: changing often and quickly; especially : often changing suddenly in mood or behavior

: not logical or reasonable : based on an idea, desire, etc., that is not possible to predict

Improve this answer
2
  • 1
    "Flighty" is gender-neutral. See Merriam-Webster, for example: merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flighty
    – Obie 2.0
    Nov 25, 2015 at 22:59
  • 1
    thanks, but as most of the dictionaries say "flighty" is applicable to women. And if it or something like that can also be relevant to men, that would be what I have been looking for.
    – haha
    Nov 25, 2015 at 23:05
4

I'd suggest, butterfly.

: a person who never settles with one group, interest, or occupation for long Collins English Dictionary

: a person who flits aimlessly from one interest or group to another: a social butterfly Random House

Another term that could fit what you're after is flakey. A person (girl or guy) who likes to date casually, but moves from person to person is described as being "flakey." Being "flakey" or "flaking out" also describes people in general who set up a time to do something, but in the end either fail to show up or cancel out at the last minute. Needless to say, "flakey" people are not well respected and people generally tend to not take them seriously pretty quickly.

flake: (informal) a person who is impractical, flighty, unreliable, or inconsistent; especially with maintaining a living. Wiktionary

Improve this answer
8
  • Could you tell me it is approval or disapproval, because I think what you suggested is approval and I am looking for a disapproval word.
    – haha
    Nov 25, 2015 at 18:13
  • @haha It's most often used disapprovingly.
    – Elian
    Nov 25, 2015 at 18:31
  • 1
    But according to Merriam Webster dictionary's definition it is said: Butterfly is "A person who goes to many parties and other social events."
    – haha
    Nov 25, 2015 at 20:21
  • Your answer is more acceptable to me but why others mostly voted for "novelty-seeking"? I think they don't want to answer this question anymore but could you tell me why they are not for something else or butterfly for that matter.
    – haha
    Nov 25, 2015 at 20:50
  • @haha learnersdictionary.com/definition/butterfly
    – Elian
    Nov 25, 2015 at 21:16
3

I think you are describing instances of compulsive behaviour:

  • Plenty of people suffer from one form of compulsive behavior or another. There's compulsive shopping, hoarding, eating and gambling. And, of course, there is garden variety obsessive compulsiveness. When a person has a compulsion, he is trapped in a pattern of repetitive and senseless thinking—and these behaviors can prove quite difficult to overcome.
Improve this answer
2
  • although I didn't mean that, we cannot refer to someone who is behaving in this way.
    – haha
    Nov 25, 2015 at 18:00
  • ... Can we refer it to that person as an adjective?
    – haha
    Nov 25, 2015 at 18:51
2

An addict: An enthusiastic devotee of a specified thing or activity (OED)

Improve this answer
0

A word that could describe this person's interests would be Fleeting.

Normally fleeting describes a moment that passes quickly, such as

"Her and I locked eyes for a sweet, fleeting moment."

However, it can also describe someone's behavior as in

"Harold is tireless in his fleeting pursuits; first model trains, now supermodels. At least he's using his hands..."

Improve this answer
0

The answer is no, there is no single word that conveys precisely your intended point.

Channel your inner Bard of Avon and get cracking on some new words! :)

Improve this answer
0

It sounds like you're talking about someone who doesn't necessarily seek out completely new experiences (which I think is why you're not happy with the other answers), but when they do try something new, they obsessively want to try every variant of that thing.

If that's right, try this:

Completist

(note that it's been pointed out that dictionary definitions like the below over-state the association with physical collections, and that it fits seeking out each of a type of experiences just as much)

From reference.com:

a person who attempts to complete a collection or set, especially a collector who wants to collect an example of every item in a particular field:

"This recording is a must for obsessive Sinatra completists."

"I'd only recommend this movie to Hepburn completists."

From Oxford dictionaries:

An obsessive, typically indiscriminate, collector or fan of something:

"this compilation of singles and B-sides has it usefulness for completists"

"horror completists may find the film worth a sit-through"

Those examples tend to focus on things like music and films, but it can also be used for people who want to do everything in a category of activity.

For example, in mountaineering, you get "completists" who climb one mountain in a mountain range, then want to climb all of them in that range. Here's an example in use:

Bagging all the Munros

...But the Munros represent the granddaddy of mountain-completist challenges, tempting obsessive-compulsive outdoorsmen and women since 1891, when Sir Hugh Munro published a list of every mountain in the Scottish Highlands over 3,000 feet above sea level

Here's another example I quite like - someone's attempt to create a guide on everything to see and do in Croydon (a district of London of... mixed repute):

Completists' Guide to Croydon

This is the Completists' Guide to Croydon. It is not yet complete.

[Food and drink] [Shopping] [Things to do] [etc...]

Improve this answer
1
  • The Oxford Dictionary defines a completist as "One who wishes to have or collect complete set of some particular items". I didn't mean someone who actually wishes to have complete set of something, but someone who gets soon bored with something he already has and thinks it is not what he wants and tries and wishes to have or experience something else in the hope that next one satisfies him.
    – haha
    Nov 26, 2015 at 13:12

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.