intriguing

adjective

in·​trigu·​ing in-ˈtrē-giŋ How to pronounce intriguing (audio)
: 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.
Of this group, the Blue Jackets have the most intriguing overall prospect pool, but NCAA commits like Cayden Lindstrom and Jackson Smith are not eligible to play in rookie tournaments. Carol Schram, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025 Here are some intriguing shows in Milwaukee between now and Thanksgiving. Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025 There aren't as many juicy matchups in Week 2 compared to the season opening week, but don't let that deter you from some intriguing games. Jordan Mendoza, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025 Alas, despite its intriguing and well-mounted first act, things bottom out and fast. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025 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 9 Sep. 2025.

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