Synonyms of fascinate

fascinate

verb

ˈfa-sə-ˌnāt 

1

as in to entice

to attract or delight as if by magic

for years the zoo's family of giant pandas have fascinated visitors

Synonyms & Similar Words

• entice
• enchant
• delight
• captivate
• charm
• seduce
• interest
• please
• kill
• intrigue
• beguile
• tempt
• lure
• bewitch
• allure
• witch
• draw
• magnetize
• wile
• pull
• gratify
• enthral
• woo
• disarm
• enthrall
• entrance
• invite
• appeal (to)
• beckon
• enrapture
• arrest
• court
• solicit

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• revolt
• offend
• repel
• annoy
• disgust
• bore
• displease
• weary
• irk
• tire

2

as in to enchant

to hold the attention of as if by a spell

I can gaze at the sea for hours, fascinated by the never-ending waves crashing upon the shore

Synonyms & Similar Words

• enchant
• thrill
• grip
• mesmerize
• enthral
• hypnotize
• enthrall
• arrest
• spellbind
• bedazzle
• catch up
• involve
• charm
• engage
• entrance
• bewitch
• enrapture
• beguile
• engross
• absorb

3

as in to interest

to hold the attention of

the subject of artificial intelligence fascinates me

Synonyms & Similar Words

• interest
• intrigue
• immerse
• occupy
• attract
• involve
• enthral
• busy
• engross
• enthrall
• grip
• engage
• bemuse
• enchant
• absorb
• distract
• captivate
• preoccupy
• mesmerize
• enwrap
• charm
• obsess
• bewitch
• catch up
• hypnotize
• beguile
• catch one's eye
• allure
• monopolize
• hog

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• bore
• weary
• pall
• tire
• jade

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fascinate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of fascinate are allure, attract, captivate, charm, and enchant. While all these words mean "to draw another by exerting a powerful influence," fascinate suggests a magical influence and tends to stress the ineffectiveness of attempts to resist.

a story that continues to fascinate children

When could allure be used to replace fascinate?

The words allure and fascinate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, allure implies an enticing by what is fair, pleasing, or seductive.

an alluring smile

When is attract a more appropriate choice than fascinate?

The meanings of attract and fascinate largely overlap; however, attract applies to any degree or kind of ability to exert influence over another.

students attracted by the school's locale

How are the words charm and captivate related as synonyms of fascinate?

Charm implies the power of casting a spell over the person or thing affected and so compelling a response, but it may, like captivate, suggest no more than evoking delight or admiration.

charmed by their hospitality

her performances captivated audiences

When would enchant be a good substitute for fascinate?

While the synonyms enchant and fascinate are close in meaning, enchant is perhaps the strongest of these terms in stressing the appeal of the agent and the degree of delight evoked in the subject.

hopelessly enchanted by her beauty

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of fascinate

His language was beautifully elastic; what fascinated me just as much was the elasticity, over decades of profound change, of his politics. —Ilan Stavans, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025

My own experience with autoimmune encephalitis—a disease that distorted my reality, sending me into psychosis and delusions—had left me fascinated by the potentials and limits of our minds. —Susannah Cahalan, Vogue, 14 Apr. 2025

People with autism, for example, tend to have special interests that result in in-depth knowledge or passion about a topic, says Khan, who recalls a patient fascinated by vacuums. —Angela Haupt, Time, 14 Apr. 2025

Noah Carrigan has always been fascinated by trucks. —Terry Baddoo, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025