live rent-free in someone's head

English

Alternative forms

Verb

live rent-free in someone's head (third-person singular simple present lives rent-free in someone's head, present participle living rent-free in someone's head, simple past and past participle lived rent-free in someone's head)

  1. (chiefly US, informal, idiomatic) To be the perpetual focus of someone's thoughts, with that person having no control over this situation.
    Synonym: live rent-free in someone's mind
    • 2010, Jennifer C. Hunt, Seven Shots: An NYPD Raid on a Terrorist Cell and Its Aftermath, page 32:
      The difficult bosses then get under their skin and live “rent-free” in their heads long after they've left work and gone home to sleep.
    • 2015, Joanne Bamberger, Love Her, Love Her Not: The Hillary Paradox:
      It may not seem that way, but this is a testament to Hillary's ability to successfully make such a mark on her opposition that she lives rent-free in their heads for decades.

Usage notes
  • This phrase conveys a disparaging attitude toward the person whose head is mentioned.
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