intrigue
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to arouse the curiosity or interest of by unusual, new, or otherwise fascinating or compelling qualities; appeal strongly to; captivate.
The plan intrigues me, but I wonder if it will work.
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to achieve or earn by appealing to another's curiosity, fancy, or interest.
to intrigue one's way into another's notice.
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to draw or capture.
Her interest was intrigued by the strange symbol.
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to accomplish or force by crafty plotting or underhand machinations.
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Obsolete. to entangle.
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Obsolete. to trick or cheat.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
the use of underhand machinations or deceitful stratagems.
- Synonyms:
- manipulation
-
such a machination or stratagem or a series of them; a plot or crafty dealing.
political intrigues.
- Synonyms:
- manipulation
-
a secret or illicit love affair.
-
the series of complications forming the plot of a play.
verb
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(tr) to make interested or curious
I'm intrigued by this case, Watson
-
(intr) to make secret plots or employ underhand methods; conspire
-
to carry on a clandestine love affair
noun
-
the act or an instance of secret plotting, etc
-
a clandestine love affair
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the quality of arousing interest or curiosity; beguilement
Synonym Usage
See conspiracy.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
intriguesimple
-
intriguessimple
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have intriguedperfect
-
has intriguedperfect
-
am intriguingprogressive
-
are intriguingprogressive
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is intriguingprogressive
-
have been intriguingperfect progressive
-
has been intriguingperfect progressive
Past
-
intriguedsimple
-
had intriguedperfect
-
was intriguingprogressive
-
were intriguingprogressive
-
had been intriguingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of intrigue
First recorded in 1640–50; from French intriguer, from Italian intrigare, from Latin intrīcāre “to entangle”; see intricate
Explanation
An intrigue is a secret plot. If you ever become the monarch of a small island kingdom, keep watch for signs of any intrigue against you. Intrigue comes from the Latin verb intricare, "to entangle," and is related to intricate. It can be a noun, meaning "underhanded plot," or a verb for the act of plotting. Agents of two opposing powers intrigue against each other. In the late 19th century it also came to mean the feeling of curiosity or interest. If someone's ideas intrigue you, you want to know more about them.
Vocabulary lists containing intrigue
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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.
See Examples For:
‘Beef,’ ‘Hacks’ and ‘The Pitt’ seem set to run the table in this year’s Emmy nominations, but there’s still intrigue to be found in the race, writes columnist Glenn Whipp.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
As the rumour goes, Klopp might be done with coaching in club football, but the national team may still intrigue him.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
And if any fictional town could make twice-a-year-Halloween seem reasonable, it was Gravity Falls, which teemed with paranormal mystery and intrigue.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026
Its low temperature has added to its intrigue.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026
Lieutenant Dana had led his troops into Bryantown, a well-known place of Confederate intrigue, commandeered the tavern, and occupied the town.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
If the idea of moving into a university retirement community intrigues you, take these steps before signing a contract:
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 10, 2026
"I just take what intrigues me from different genres and different moods and apply them to the stories I want to tell."
From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2026
The reader’s patience pays off, however: Soon the plot becomes more intricate and the intrigues become truly threatening.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2025
From the start, “The Gilded Age” has taken care to authentically depict Peggy’s narrative trajectory without denying the same juicy intrigues coloring other characters’ lives.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2025
Blunt maybe, but something about him intrigues me.
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
Analysts are also intrigued by how much it can raise prices on these chips.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Although "intrigued", a dyslexia diagnosis made her think she couldn't do it.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
It’s bold, a little funky, and exactly the kind of recipe that makes people either immediately intrigued or deeply skeptical.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
That phrase, engraved on some quarters photographer Blaise Hayward was counting in his New York City kitchen in July 2023, intrigued him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
He felt certain that mentioning the Italian Renaissance had intrigued me.
From "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg
There may be no more intriguing situation in the transfer landscape right now than Vinicius Jr's future.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Golden State is intriguing: A Bay Area 35-plus senior community featuring old rivals Steph Curry and Draymond Green.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
But you don’t have to wholly buy into the idea of a character like Sonny to find something intriguing about what Adeline is saying about storytelling throughout “People Watching.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
It promises to be an intriguing battle of the number 10s.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
But as soon as we ask why this is so, we face some intriguing problems.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
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.
