fascinate

verb

fas·​ci·​nate ˈfa-sə-ˌnāt 

fascinated; fascinating ˈfas-ˌnā-tiŋ 

ˈfa-sə-ˌnā-

transitive verb

1

a

: to command the interest of : allure

was fascinated by carnivals

The kids were fascinated with their new toy.

b

: to transfix (see transfix sense 1) and hold spellbound by an irresistible power

believed that the serpent could fascinate its prey

2

obsolete : bewitch

intransitive verb

: to be irresistibly attractive

the novel's flamboyant cover fascinates

Synonyms

• allure
• beguile
• bewitch
• captivate
• charm
• enchant
• kill
• magnetize
• wile
• witch [archaic]

Choose the Right Synonym for fascinate

attract, allure, charm, captivate, fascinate, enchant mean to draw another by exerting a powerful influence.

attract applies to any degree or kind of ability to exert influence over another.

students attracted by the school's locale

allure implies an enticing by what is fair, pleasing, or seductive.

an alluring smile

charm implies the power of casting a spell over the person or thing affected and so compelling a response

charmed by their hospitality

, but it may, like captivate, suggest no more than evoking delight or admiration.

her performances captivated audiences

fascinate suggests a magical influence and tends to stress the ineffectiveness of attempts to resist.

a story that continues to fascinate children

enchant is perhaps the strongest of these terms in stressing the appeal of the agent and the degree of delight evoked in the subject.

hopelessly enchanted by her beauty

Examples of fascinate in a Sentence

a question that fascinates both biologists and anthropologists

Her paintings never fail to fascinate.

Recent Examples on the Web

The night-side of our lives—that is, the occult, the spiritual world—continues to fascinate me. —Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024

Marlene Dietrich was a really important reference to Mr. Dior, and I was fascinated by her. —José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 15 Apr. 2024

Laura is a science news writer, covering a wide variety of subjects, but she is particularly fascinated by all things aquatic, paleontology, nanotechnology, and exploring how science influences daily life. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 Apr. 2024

Being fascinated with the mechanics of watches—or anything mechanical—is a stereotypically male fascination. —Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2024

It was named Utopia by German settlers, who were said to have been fascinated by the abundance of rabbits that were easy to catch. —Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson The first Polaroid camera appeared in 1947, and ever since, the world has been fascinated by instant-print cameras. —Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 19 Mar. 2024

As a child, Asher was fascinated with astronauts and space rockets. —Leslie Camhi, Travel + Leisure, 30 Mar. 2024

Nevertheless, the idea of a muon collider continues to fascinate some physicists, especially younger researchers. —Byadrian Cho, science.org, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin fascinatus, past participle of fascinare, from fascinum evil spell

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b

Kids Definition

fascinate

verb

fas·​ci·​nate ˈfas-ᵊn-ˌāt 

fascinated; fascinating

1

: to grip the attention of especially so as to take away the power to move, act, or think for oneself

the belief that serpents can fascinate their prey

2

: to cause (someone) to be very interested in something or someone

fascination

ˌfas-ᵊn-ˈā-shən

noun

fascinator

ˈfas-ᵊn-ˌāt-ər

noun