mesmerized
Americanadjective
-
in a hypnotic or trancelike state; hypnotized.
“I could create the odor of any kind of fruit and make a mesmerized person taste and smell it,” wrote 19th-century psychic Phineas Quimby.
-
having the attention completely absorbed; fascinated, captivated, or spellbound.
At our first annual poetry slam, 28 students wielded their verbal prowess in front of a mesmerized audience of over 300.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mesmerized
First recorded in 1825–35; mesmerize ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; mesmerize ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
Explanation
If you’re mesmerized, you are so fascinated by something, you can’t look away. The mesmerized look in your eyes reveals that watching hockey seems to put you in a trance. Pronounced "mez-mur-ized," the adjective mesmerized describes being held in place by something — not physically — but by extreme interest in what you see or hear. Great movies keep you mesmerized or almost hypnotized with giant images and sounds. Being mesmerized almost feels like you are in a spell, as some people feel when looking at celebrity gossip and photos online.
Vocabulary lists containing mesmerized
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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.
Mesmerized by the beauty of these underwater animals, she set out on a path to study marine biology, eventually earning a Ph.D.
From Salon • May 14, 2022
Mesmerized by her discovery, she began devouring “everything I could that had been published about black Catholic history,” while setting out to interview founding members of the National Black Sisters’ Conference.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 30, 2022
Mesmerized by her discovery, she began devouring “everything I could that had been published about black Catholic history,” while setting out to interview founding members of the National Black Sisters’ Conference.
From Washington Times • Apr. 30, 2022
Mesmerized, pummeled, you are forced either to take the plunge — to believe — or to keep your head above water.
From Washington Post • Mar. 8, 2019
Mesmerized, Harry looked up, high above him, and saw the eyes of the black dragon, with vertical pupils like a cat’s, bulging with either fear or rage, he couldn’t tell which.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
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.
