fascination

noun

fas·​ci·​na·​tion ˌfa-sə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce fascination (audio)
1
a
: the quality or power of fascinating
b
: something fascinating
2
: the state of being fascinated : the state of feeling an intense interest in something

Examples of fascination in a Sentence

the fascination that the subject of dinosaurs has for most children
Recent Examples on the Web The English author Horace Walpole could barely contain his fascination with her in a 1770 letter to his friend Sir Horace Mann. E.r. Zarevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024 His fascination with architecture isn’t entirely new information. Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 The film plays with his fascination with texture, sound and folklore. Callum McLennan, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 Her eight-hour saga of heartache, shared in more than 50 compelling, five to 10-minute TikTok increments, ended up capturing the fascination of millions. Lisa Respers France, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 Throughout, the novel is preoccupied by the constant synthesizing required of immigrants, for whom an adoptive country can hold the fascination of a work of art. The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 This prelude to their big kiss is meant to hook Part 1 into Part 2, but there’s no compelling romance, mission, or fascination that connects these characters to the dark, drab homeland. Armond White, National Review, 1 Mar. 2024 Because of his growing fascination with technology, at 16, Borkowski opted to attend a technical high school, pursuing a technical diploma in electronics and learning about components, soldering, and assembly language. IEEE Spectrum, 25 Feb. 2024 Leap Year, a unique occurrence that graces our calendars every four years, has been a source of fascination for centuries. Bhanu Chopra, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fascination.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of fascination was in 1605

Dictionary Entries Near fascination

Cite this Entry

“Fascination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fascination. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on fascination

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