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Synonyms

engaging

American  
[en-gay-jing] / ɛnˈgeɪ dʒɪŋ /

adjective

  1. winning; attractive; pleasing.

    an engaging smile.

    Synonyms:
    agreeable, charming

engaging British  
/ ɪnˈɡeɪdʒɪŋ /

adjective

  1. pleasing, charming, or winning

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of engaging

First recorded in 1665–75; engage + -ing 2

Explanation

A story, song, or person that is engaging is entertaining, fun, and interesting — you want to see or hear more. To remember the meaning of engaging, it might help to think of what engaged means. When a couple is engaged, they've agreed to get married. When something or somebody is engaging, you want to spend more time with them too. Boring is the complete opposite of engaging. Think of your favorite movie or TV show — especially one you can't stop watching — it must be very engaging.

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Vocabulary lists containing engaging

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Crucially, he said, the tort suit wouldn’t prohibit the companies from engaging in any conduct; it only requires the companies to pay for some of the damage that conduct causes.

From Slate ● Oct. 5, 2026

I’m having plenty of fun engaging with music made with human ears, hands and minds.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

"I feel like it's very active to be running from things and to be not engaging with things in your life... I think that's very actively self-sabotaging," she said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

He said he was grateful to those engaging in dialogue, adding that it was "a crucial time" for Northern Ireland and he hoped compromise could be found.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

He’d always shown less interest than Jesse in engaging with the broader world.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

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