intriguing

adjective

in·​trigu·​ing in-ˈtrē-giŋ How to pronounce intriguing (audio)
Synonyms of intriguingnext
: engaging the interest to a marked degree : fascinating
an intriguing story

Examples of intriguing in a Sentence

The Huns are intriguing not only because of their notoriously hawkish history, but also because of their place as middlemen between Mongol and Turkic ethnicity. Victor L. Mote, Siberia, 1998
The next two phases of the Cambrian … mark the strangest, most important, and most intriguing of all episodes in the fossil record of animals—the short interval known as the Cambrian explosion … Stephen Jay Gould, Natural History, July/August 1998
The folklorist Jan Brunvand has documented hundreds of "urban legends," intriguing stories that everyone swears happened to a friend of a friend … and that circulate for years in nearly identical form in city after city, but that can never be documented as real events. Steven Pinker, The Language Instinct, 1994
The offer is very intriguing. an intriguing concept that should engender much debate among climatologists
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There is no more intriguing player in the draft this year. Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026 The slippery intercontinental patriotism is intriguing, even in songs that strain to give seven guys the same time of day. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026 Current owner Nima Alizadeh carries on the tradition started by founders Randy Robinson and Harry Johnson by offering great food along with an intriguing lineup of wines. Laura Ness, Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2026 Horton finds the biometric space to be very intriguing. Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for intriguing

Word History

Etymology

see intrigue entry 1

First Known Use

1752, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of intriguing was in 1752

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Intriguing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intriguing. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.

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