1
as in appealing
having an often mysterious or magical power to attract
the fascinating cities and peoples of central Asia have been intriguing travelers at least since the time of Marco Polo
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in interesting
holding the attention or provoking interest
the fascinating—but dubious—legend that Pocahontas rescued John Smith from certain death
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in charming
to attract or delight as if by magic
for years the zoo's family of giant pandas have fascinated visitors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in enchanting
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
3
as in intriguing
to hold the attention of
the subject of artificial intelligence fascinates me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fascinating
Dan Shanoff, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
So while Ayers snapped her picture far away from lightning’s direct effects, the photo can still help researchers better understand these fascinating and powerful occurrences.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026
Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fascinating
Adjective
That quote from Illinois football coach Bret Bielema, from the fascinating weekend reporting from my colleague Bruce Feldman about a surprising postseason with an unexpected College Football Playoff final four (being played tomorrow and Friday), has stuck with me for a few days.
—Dan Shanoff, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
So while Ayers snapped her picture far away from lightning’s direct effects, the photo can still help researchers better understand these fascinating and powerful occurrences.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
Wilentz, author of the 2010 book Dylan in America, wrote Volume 18‘s detailed, often fascinating 125-page liner notes that provides historical context for the expansive eight-CD set.
—Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fascinating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fascinating
Adjective
-
The Disney executives said the company has worked to make an appealing offer to YouTube TV.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Some of the certificates date back as far as the 1980s, but developing them is becoming more appealing as the far northern edges of Phoenix begin to fill out.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The Cowboys have mastered the art of entertaining and interesting better than any sports franchise in the world, but there is a redundancy that to the person who spends a lot of their money on it is justifiably checked out.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Seeing these guys unapologetically portrayed by an actor whose superpower is the audience is always with him was interesting.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
There’s even a growing market for clunky-but-charming mini cathode-ray-style TVs — and boomboxes with streaming capability.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Slowly, the feline warmed up to visitors, charming them with his gentle personality.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If that wasn't enchanting enough, they were then joined by their original Broadway counterparts, Kristin Chenoweth (Glinda) and Idina Menzel (Elphaba).—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Even the most incredulous of us listened to him describe the visions of fleeting stars that were enchanting enough to swoon the most beautiful people on this poor Earth.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Our guide to the best upcoming sci-fi movies in 2026 features a blockbuster mix of popular franchises, intriguing one-offs, and one of the greatest directors of all time heading back to alien visitation territory.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
31 Dec. 2025
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New York has intriguing young outfielders in Jasson Domínguez and Spencer jones, but Bellinger was the team's second best player in the lineup this season.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Youthful, well-dressed, and charismatic, TBPN is making Silicon Valley wealth look fun again.—
Julia Black,
Vanity Fair,
8 Jan. 2026
-
However, Venezuelans identify Machado, not González, as the winner, and the charismatic opposition leader has remained the voice of the campaign, pushing for international support and insisting her movement will replace Maduro.—
Regina Garcia Cano,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Their ongoing collaboration makes for an eclectic and engaging body of work.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
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Another way to make snowshoeing even more engaging?—
Mia Taylor,
Parents,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Similar to fellow Arsenal summer signing Eberechi Eze — another keen chess player — the assumption would be that the skills taken from the board game have helped Zubimendi be a step ahead in enticing and then bypassing opposition players.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Fringe areas on the outskirts of Denver proper and the suburbs are enticing for new locations.—
Max Scheinblum,
Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fascinating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fascinating. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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