mesmerize
verb
Arnold Plotnick
Did you know?
Experts can’t agree on whether Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815) was a quack or a genius, but all concede that the Swabian physician's name is the source of the word mesmerize. In his day, Mesmer was the toast of Paris, where he enjoyed the support of notables including Queen Marie Antoinette. He treated patients with therapeutic procedures (called, appropriately enough, mesmerism) involving what he claimed was a mysterious force termed animal magnetism. (Many believe that mesmerism was what we now call hypnotism). Accordingly, the verb mesmerize was first used to mean "to subject to mesmerism" before broadening to be synonymous with hypnotize, and later to mean "to amaze or captivate."
Synonyms
Examples of mesmerize in a Sentence
Erin Florio, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Apr. 2024
Moves in the Field [Warp] On her latest album of sweeping piano compositions, Kelly Moran taps into a strand of modern classical that mesmerizes and haunts, with occasional, breathtaking lurches to disturb the air of sanctuary.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 29 Mar. 2024
Or you can be mesmerized by someone painstakingly dropping dots of olive oil into a scallop shell, around a circle of sliced live diver scallop in a deeply savory soy-lime aguachile sauce.
—Shauna Lyon, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024
As a child, she was mesmerized by the paint jobs, hydraulics and the curves of the cars.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024
Retail has been incorporating automation into its systems for years now—think Domino’s mesmerizing Pizza Tracker introduced in 2008—but introducing physical, large-scale robots into retail spaces is relatively new.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024
With reasonable prices, friendly service and a front-row view of Shoal Bay's mesmerizing beauty, Tropical Sunset is a top choice for a lazy and tasty afternoon (after eating, diners are welcome to use the restaurant’s beach-side loungers for the rest of the day).
—Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
In Honduras, citizens have been mesmerized by news of the trial, which began Feb. 20.
—Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024
The lodge's digs are about as mesmerizing as the undulating scenery.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mesmerize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Mesmerize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mesmerize. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Medical Definition
mesmerize
transitive verb
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