fascination
Americannoun
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the power or action of fascinating.
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the state or an instance of being fascinated.
They watched in fascination.
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a fascinating quality; powerful attraction; charm.
the fascination of foreign travel.
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Cards. a form of solitaire.
Etymology
Origin of fascination
1595–1605; < Latin fascinātiōn- (stem of fascinātiō ) a bewitching. See fascinate, -ion
Explanation
If diamondback turtles hold a certain fascination for you, you know everything there is to know about them, you talk about them all the time, and maybe you've embroidered one on your pillowcase. Fascination is an irresistible attraction. Be careful to use the right preposition: you've got a fascination with handsome princes, but handsome princes hold a fascination for you. When you have a fascination, it's as if you're bewitched, and — what do you know? — the word goes back to the Latin fascinare, which means "cast a spell on."
Vocabulary lists containing fascination
The Cay
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"The Witch Boy" by Molly Knox Ostertag
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Schooled
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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.
In “Nocturnes and the Fascination of Night Music,” Susan Tomes delves into the origins of the nocturne and the reasons for its lasting popularity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
His earlier works include the acclaimed "Mountains of the Mind: A History of a Fascination" and a scholarly study of plagiarism and originality in 19th-century English literature.
From Salon • May 28, 2025
Fascination with the brand has gone global and seeing her friends had managed to get hold of the products, Sadie "begged" her mother, Lucy, to buy them.
From BBC • Jan. 26, 2024
Fascination with the Fermat riddle nonetheless lingered among a subset of mathematicians, professional and amateur.
From New York Times • Jan. 31, 2022
Arrived at the house in which his master's chambers were on the second floor, Riah proceeded up the stairs, and paused at Fascination Fledgeby's door.
From Our Mutual Friend by Dickens, Charles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
