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."
Examples of mesmerize in a Sentence
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Oct. 2025
But if you too have been mesmerized by the Belle Époque aesthetics of recent video games like Lies of P and Clair Obscur, Halloween is the perfect opportunity to put on a red beret and parry with the best of them.
—James Factora, Them., 17 Oct. 2025
During halftime, the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band mesmerizes the crowd with its military precision and complex formations.
—Kristen Tribe, Southern Living, 10 Oct. 2025
The stories, featuring interwoven poetry, are mesmerizing.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mesmerize
Cite this Entry
“Mesmerize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mesmerize. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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mesmerize
transitive verb
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