Synonyms of arresting

arresting 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈre-stiŋ 

1

as in interesting

holding the attention or provoking interest

an arresting film about tribal traditions in Africa

Synonyms & Similar Words

• interesting
• engaging
• intriguing
• fascinating
• absorbing
• provocative
• involving
• exciting
• gripping
• riveting
• enthralling
• engrossing
• consuming
• inspiring
• entertaining
• amazing
• amusing
• immersing
• striking
• attractive
• enchanting
• breathtaking
• electrifying
• unusual
• electric
• charming
• exhilarating
• thrilling
• tantalizing
• stimulating
• alluring
• showy
• astonishing
• rousing
• stirring
• galvanizing
• captivating
• emphatic
• surprising
• hypnotizing
• bewitching
• spellbinding
• wonderful
• mesmerizing
• wondrous
• curious
• astounding
• eventful
• splashy
• marvelous
• odd
• weird
• fabulous
• eye-opening

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dry
• heavy
• tedious
• boring
• uninteresting
• dull
• drab
• monotonous
• tiresome
• wearisome
• tiring
• sterile
• unexciting
• discouraging
• pedestrian
• wearying
• pedantic
• demoralizing
• dreary
• operose
• humdrum
• disheartening
• dispiriting

2

as in commanding

likely to attract attention

at seven feet tall, he's an arresting figure in any crowd

Synonyms & Similar Words

• commanding
• noticeable
• prominent
• dramatic
• striking
• remarkable
• impressive
• marked
• brilliant
• pronounced
• conspicuous
• showy
• outstanding
• interesting
• emphatic
• flamboyant
• bold
• eye-catching
• visible
• noisy
• distinguished
• catchy
• splashy
• notable
• loud
• salient
• recognizable
• glaring
• kenspeckle
• noteworthy
• discernible
• detectable
• perceptible
• grabby
• eminent
• highlighted
• observable
• bodacious
• fascinating
• ornate
• spectacular
• screaming
• absorbing
• flagrant
• extravagant
• fancy
• riveting
• enthralling
• gaudy
• engrossing
• garish
• flashy
• tawdry
• swank
• meretricious
• glitzy
• jazzy
• ostentatious
• opulent
• overwrought
• pretentious
• florid
• spotlighted
• howling
• glittery
• overdone
• highfalutin

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• inconspicuous
• subtle
• unobtrusive
• unremarkable
• unnoticeable
• hidden
• concealed
• obscure
• faint
• unemphatic
• unshowy
• shrouded
• dim
• insignificant
• unimportant
• unflamboyant
• modest
• simple
• unaffected
• undistinguished
• restrained
• conservative
• unassuming
• quiet
• understated
• plain
• unpretentious
• subdued
• muted
• unflashy
• toned-down

arresting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of arrest

1

as in seizing

to take or keep under one's control by authority of law

the inept robber was promptly arrested by the off-duty policeman he had tried to hold up

Synonyms & Similar Words

• seizing
• apprehending
• restraining
• detaining
• grabbing
• capturing
• jailing
• committing
• snatching
• catching
• nailing
• imprisoning
• pinching
• nabbing
• nicking
• incarcerating
• busting
• running in
• collaring
• trapping
• pulling in
• hooking
• handcuffing
• snaring
• confining
• picking up
• grappling
• bagging
• landing
• holding
• getting
• snapping (up)
• binding
• shackling
• locking (up)
• interning
• remanding
• enchaining
• jugging
• fettering
• trammeling
• manacling
• rearresting
• immuring

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• discharging
• releasing
• freeing
• liberating
• springing
• loosening
• emancipating
• loosing
• unchaining
• unbinding

2

as in stopping

to bring (something) to a standstill

cryogenics is based on the idea that extreme cold can almost arrest molecular motion

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stopping
• halting
• stalling
• catching
• blocking
• checking
• staying
• hindering
• obstructing
• suspending
• impeding
• stilling
• detaining
• holding
• pulling up
• drawing up
• bringing up
• blockading
• ending
• stemming
• snagging
• holding up
• baffling
• concluding
• clogging
• fetching up
• terminating
• balking
• suppressing
• damming
• holding back
• cutting off
• repressing
• discontinuing
• stunting
• calling
• squashing
• bottlenecking
• turning back
• squelching
• reining (in)
• stanching
• choking off

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continuing
• persisting
• keeping (on)
• moving
• carrying on
• proceeding
• advancing
• running on
• marching
• keeping up
• progressing
• stirring
• pushing
• driving
• going along
• propelling
• spurring
• following through (with)
• impelling
• faring
• actuating
• wending
• goading
• budging

3

as in fascinating

to hold the attention of as if by a spell

the sight of the daredevil walking a tightrope between high-rises arrested area pedestrians and motorists alike

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fascinating
• enchanting
• gripping
• mesmerizing
• hypnotizing
• thrilling
• spellbinding
• enthralling
• bedazzling
• charming
• entrancing
• catching up
• bewitching
• engaging
• involving
• engrossing
• beguiling
• absorbing
• enrapturing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of arresting

Adjective

The most arresting aspect of her art is the live show - with Cherie performing barefoot behind a translucent screen for her 40-minute set. —Piet Levy, jsonline.com, 26 Apr. 2026

The puppeteers, who are often front and center, set the pace for the entire show and create some of the most arresting visual effects, centering their work around the voyages and adventures of two main actors. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026

Verb

Before the game, the players gathered at Brig’s most arresting building, the Stockalper Palace, which at the time of its construction was the largest private building in Switzerland. —Sam Knight, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

An Ada County district judge has affirmed a jury’s decision to find a Meridian man guilty in a 2024 encounter with police that went viral after the arresting officer knelt on the man’s neck. —Rose Evans updated May 29, Idaho Statesman, 29 May 2026