as in interesting
holding the attention or provoking interest
a riveting explanation of light waves that fascinated the class
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in focusing
to fix (as one's attention) steadily toward a central objective
everyone riveted their eyes on the trick that the magician was performing on stage
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 riveting
Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2025
Mahershala Ali and Alfre Woodard both turned in absolutely riveting performances as Cornell Stokes and Mariah Stokes-Dillard, and those characters proved to be considered updates to their often racist depictions in comics.
—Nola Pfau, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2025
Read: These two memoirs by women in rock ’n’ roll are riveting.
—Justin Porter, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
With riveting prose, Li — the sisters’ niece — brings their stories to life.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riveting
Adjective
The ability to tell a riveting story, to hold an audience’s attention, is a real talent, and your character is clearly talented at it.
—Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2025
Mahershala Ali and Alfre Woodard both turned in absolutely riveting performances as Cornell Stokes and Mariah Stokes-Dillard, and those characters proved to be considered updates to their often racist depictions in comics.
—Nola Pfau, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2025
Read: These two memoirs by women in rock ’n’ roll are riveting.
—Justin Porter, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
With riveting prose, Li — the sisters’ niece — brings their stories to life.
—Lizz Schumer, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riveting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riveting
Adjective
-
What a night of interesting and awesome fights in Des Moines, Iowa.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
-
Welcome to Taste Test, where every week our critic Jonah Flicker explores the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
4 May 2025
Verb
-
State government has been focusing on East Hartford in recent years because the administration of then-Mayor Mike Walsh advanced a series of high-profile, potentially transformative projects.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Pitchers As far as pitching goes, the thesis couldn’t be simpler — do our best to avoid any bias attached to surface stats (outputs) by instead focusing on underlying metrics (inputs).—
John Laghezza,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The smells, on the other hand, were intriguing—solvents, 3D printers, some other rapid prototyping, or maybe all of it all at once.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2025
-
Even for an amateur baker like myself, some of the most intriguing recipes fall in the dessert chapter—because who wouldn’t want chewy tahini blondies or a coffee and cream icebox cake to end the meal?—
Wilder Davies,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
2 May 2025
Verb
-
This led to an explosion of technology development and, with funding concentrating on a smaller number of startups, set the playing field for 2025.—
Jeff Mahler,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
-
Since the trial began, the Amazons have ventured out about three times a week to paste messages on both sides of the ramparts, but mostly concentrating on the intra-muros area near the courthouse.—
Catherine Porter,
New York Times,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Over the years, the city has developed a thriving drinking and dining scene that encompasses spirits and cultures from all across the globe, and there’s no shortage of fascinating educational institutions to visit as well, with topics spanning from sports to fine arts to wildlife conservation.—
Jared Ranahan,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
-
The last time Inter visited Barcelona for a Champions League semi-final, back in April 2010, the night teemed with fascinating subplots.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The film tells a different story of a far more engaging and charismatic character, and the danger of any sign of fragility in women holding positions of power, says Cataldo.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
8 May 2025
-
Furthermore, many Arabic language programs lack structured curricula, and educators often struggle to provide engaging and efficient instruction.—
Geoffrey Alphonso,
Forbes.com,
7 May 2025
Adjective
-
The absorbing survey shows how movies were an influence, but the appeal goes beyond celebrity subjects.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Many of these jobs involve repetitive or rules-based tasks, exactly the kinds AI is rapidly absorbing.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riveting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riveting. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share