1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

fetching 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfe-chiŋ How to pronounce fetching (audio)
Definition of fetchingnext
1
as in appealing
having an often mysterious or magical power to attract the woman's fetching smile has long made the painting a favorite with visitors to the museum

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in beautiful
very pleasing to look at a most fetching outfit in which to go skiing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fetching

2 of 2

verb

present participle of fetch
as in costing
to have a price of those old toys that we tossed away are now fetching big bucks as antiques

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fetching
Adjective
Cord grass ripples across these languorous northern marshes and, while ships lay wounded and stranded in the former Aral, all that remains of the old Parkgate are some very old photographs, showing frigates, sand, and some very fetching Victorian bathing attire. — Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Mar. 2026 At 19, Flora was a fetching young woman with a sweet smile. — Fiona Donovan, Vanity Fair, 30 Dec. 2025
Verb
Having the chamber installed in your home, like San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle did, is a much steeper investment, fetching close to $170,000 after delivery and on-site assembly. — Jake Nevins, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026 And in 1934, Reuters reported on Jack, a three-year-old Dalmatian who was known for pulling fire hoses, climbing ladders, recognizing alarm signals and even fetching meals for the firefighters on his team. — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fetching
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fetching
  1. appealing
  2. beautiful
  3. costing
  4. attractive
  5. handsome
  6. bringing
  7. charming
  8. lovely
Adjective
  • And, fortuitously for would-be sponsors, something happened in tennis that made these arrangements even more appealing.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Amy and Rosie are intensely appealing women, yet their lives with men have been a washout.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of appealing
Adjective
  • The nicest of the quartet, Springfield features a large clubhouse, a beautiful practice area with an oversized putting green and a challenging 6,906-yard course that is hilly, woody and will ask you to hit lots of precise shots.
    — Langston Wertz Jr, Charlotte Observer, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Forests that avoid the worst fire and drought impacts should still offer beautiful color, but the viewing window may be shorter.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of beautiful
Verb
  • That, in turn, led to Southampton getting thrown out of the playoffs — costing the team a chance of promotion to the lucrative Premier League — and receiving a four-point deduction to start this season.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The film brought in $8 million domestically during its opening weekend despite costing over $80 million to produce.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of costing
Adjective
  • The 10-year Treasury yield at nearly two-decade highs above 5% starts to look like a pretty attractive risk-free return.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
  • New London officials are eagerly endorsing Spinnaker Real Estate Partners’ proposal as a way to draw some of the thousands of new employees being hired by nearby Electric Boat while recapturing a stretch of attractive waterfront at the marina.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of attractive
Adjective
  • Enter Darlene’s handsome grandson Matt (Buckley), a Chicago firefighter and die-hard Bears fan who, with a little gentle nudging from Darlene, agrees to show Avery what being part of Bears Nation is all about.
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • McDavid’s isolated stats show his line surrendered more goals but still delivered a handsome 54 percent share.
    — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of handsome
Verb
  • Players partnered with brands including Head, Adidas, Nike, Fila, Ellesse and even Coca Cola bringing their names and signatures to everything from rackets and sneakers to wristbands and warm-up gear.
    — Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The man was rescued from a hydropower tunnel, according to a social media post by the country’s prime minister’s office, bringing the total to three workers pulled alive from the Trishuli hydropower project.
    — Shristi Kafle, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of bringing
Adjective
  • In its reporting, Southern Living magazine praised the fan-favorite destination for its charming downtown and proximity to scenic views.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The time-bending romance, led by the charming Louis Garrel, is based on Hungry Heart, a book of shorts by Eshkol Nevo.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of charming
Adjective
  • Food and drink Another lovely perk is your choice of breakfast from the à la carte menu at The Barn, the hotel’s more casual restaurant.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Sandy is very, very funny and smart, and Nic was just lovely.
    — Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of lovely

Browse Nearby Words

fetches up
fetching
fetchingly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fetching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fetching. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of volition

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All