intriguing

1 of 2

adjective

in·​trigu·​ing in-ˈtrē-giŋ 

: engaging the interest to a marked degree : fascinating entry 1

an intriguing story

intriguing

2 of 2

present participle of intrigue entry 2

Synonyms of intriguing

Adjective

• interesting
• fascinating
• engaging

Examples of intriguing in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

Even more intriguing is the suggestion that a luxury version of the SUV may also be in the works. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 21 Aug. 2026

Aside from Haaland’s return to the tube, the Premier League has a wealth of intriguing storylines cooking as the new campaign gets underway. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Summary While Nvidia's earnings loom, semiconductor firm Photronics (PLAB) reports Q2 results on August 26, presenting an intriguing contrarian signal. — Schaeffer's Investment Research, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Chicago Blackhawks Connor Bedard is a star, and Chicago has a lot of highly intriguing young talent around him. — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see intrigue entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1752, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for intriguing

• fatiguing