as in hypnotic
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as in fascinating
to hold the attention of as if by a spell
discovered that the children were mesmerized by a television show
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Recent Examples of mesmerizing
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
That’s on top of them viewing a solar eclipse in space, and the many mesmerizing photos folks back on planet Earth have been treated to thanks to NASA.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Darker than silver but not quite as piercing as solid black, black cat-eye tips are edgy and mesmerizing.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 10 Apr. 2026
Writer-director Walter Thompson-Hernández sets this mesmerizing, lyrical portrait of masculinity and tenderness against the backdrop of a busy LAX flight path.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
Musically, the singer-songwriter presents us with 13 tracks of sonic elegance, featuring electronic touches and mesmerizing guitars that convey nostalgia while also reflecting the overflowing joy of someone who has overcome an emotional crisis.
—Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2026
Jin shows off his mesmerizing, masterful knife skills.
—Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2026
Head outside tonight and drink in the sight of the Pleiades open star cluster glistening close to the red star Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus, before the mesmerizing naked-eye jewel slips out of view with the changing of the seasons.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Mirrors were such a precious commodity in the heyday of the Venetian Republic that the assassins were dispatched to, well, dispatch any defectors who left La Serenissima and tried to take the secrets of creating that mesmerizing, reflective surface along with them.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 17 Mar. 2026
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Like many of my favorite live performances from decades before and since, these four are mesmerizing — albeit for very different reasons.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Authentic and proud cultural celebrations, luaus are uniquely entertaining and, at times, simply mesmerizing with Polynesian dancing and drumming as well as chants, songs and stories about ancient traditions, legends and epic Pacific Ocean migrations.
—Ben Davidson, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
That such a seemingly commonplace location is elevated to feel mesmerizing speaks to how animation can make the mundane anew.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The haunting and moving scenes lensed inside this narrow alcove-like space were all really shot on-location and make for mesmerizing viewing.
—Thinus Ferreira, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
Its misty mountains are mesmerizing and home to all kinds of plants and wildlife, including fireflies that synchronize for a few weeks each year.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026
Far fewer visitors make it to this stunning natural attraction, known for its impenetrably turquoise water, so mesmerizing that it was once thought to be bottomless.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2026
Despite his character’s transparency, Musella’s performance is mesmerizing.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Lowery manifests that vision as a swirling tangle of red fabric that acquires an almost corporeal form, a mesmerizing jolt of color in the sumptuous darkness of DP Andrew Droz Palermo’s visuals (Rina Yang shot the concert scenes).
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
That’s on top of them viewing a solar eclipse in space, and the many mesmerizing photos folks back on planet Earth have been treated to thanks to NASA.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Darker than silver but not quite as piercing as solid black, black cat-eye tips are edgy and mesmerizing.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 10 Apr. 2026
Writer-director Walter Thompson-Hernández sets this mesmerizing, lyrical portrait of masculinity and tenderness against the backdrop of a busy LAX flight path.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
Musically, the singer-songwriter presents us with 13 tracks of sonic elegance, featuring electronic touches and mesmerizing guitars that convey nostalgia while also reflecting the overflowing joy of someone who has overcome an emotional crisis.
—Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2026
Jin shows off his mesmerizing, masterful knife skills.
—Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2026
Head outside tonight and drink in the sight of the Pleiades open star cluster glistening close to the red star Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus, before the mesmerizing naked-eye jewel slips out of view with the changing of the seasons.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Mirrors were such a precious commodity in the heyday of the Venetian Republic that the assassins were dispatched to, well, dispatch any defectors who left La Serenissima and tried to take the secrets of creating that mesmerizing, reflective surface along with them.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 17 Mar. 2026
Verb
But this 3 still looks like the cooler play, absolutely mesmerizing in a vacuum.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Like many of my favorite live performances from decades before and since, these four are mesmerizing — albeit for very different reasons.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Authentic and proud cultural celebrations, luaus are uniquely entertaining and, at times, simply mesmerizing with Polynesian dancing and drumming as well as chants, songs and stories about ancient traditions, legends and epic Pacific Ocean migrations.
—Ben Davidson, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
That such a seemingly commonplace location is elevated to feel mesmerizing speaks to how animation can make the mundane anew.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The haunting and moving scenes lensed inside this narrow alcove-like space were all really shot on-location and make for mesmerizing viewing.
—Thinus Ferreira, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
Its misty mountains are mesmerizing and home to all kinds of plants and wildlife, including fireflies that synchronize for a few weeks each year.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026
Far fewer visitors make it to this stunning natural attraction, known for its impenetrably turquoise water, so mesmerizing that it was once thought to be bottomless.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2026
Despite his character’s transparency, Musella’s performance is mesmerizing.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mesmerizing
Adjective
-
That smell of Sumatra — earthy, smoky, almost hypnotic.—
Nick El Hajj,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
-
There’s a huge connection between the hypnotic energy of your music and your live PORTAL shows.—
Danny Klein,
SPIN,
13 Apr. 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
-
Once on the ground visitors can enjoy Greenland’s rugged coastal landscapes, fascinating indigenous Inuit culture, and the opportunity to experience the country at its primordial best.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Watching the two teams toggle schematic approaches mid-series and adjust rosters in the offseasons to better matchup with one another has produced an enthralling chess match.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
18 Apr. 2026
-
His absence in the Warriors’ last home game of the regular season also put a damper on what could have been another enthralling matchup of two of the NBA’s biggest stars.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The face enchanting enough to gain entry into this party of the Four Hundred.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
This enchanting 500-year-old Grade II cottage is set in 12 acres of mature gardens and land – including paddocks, a kitchen garden, and access with frontage on the River Arun (including fishing rights), ideal for kayaking and other water pursuits.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Watching a prodigy embarrass the world over 72 holes was riveting; equally captivating is following the same person be exposed by life, hubris and ego.—
Mac Engel
April 9,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Although McKellen’s Julian is colorful and riveting, Solomon saw Coel’s Lori as the protagonist from whose perspective the movie would largely be told.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This engrossing and thoroughly original thriller combines racing suspense with a moving story about the need for human connection.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Her talent for channeling this script is the building block for thoughtful, engrossing theater.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The excitement of the fight for freedom and justice, combined with the energy of mass gatherings, was seductive.—
Nataliya Gumenyuk,
The Dial,
21 Apr. 2026
-
That’s what’s so seductive about them.—
Brittany Delay,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The feature is set in British Columbia, largely in the span of a summer during the nineteen-nineties, in a calm residential suburb on the ruggedly alluring Vancouver Island.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Captive in bucolic panopticons, their lives are at once aesthetically alluring, depressingly regressive and anthropologically fascinating.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mesmerizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mesmerizing. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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