arresting
Americanadjective
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attracting or capable of attracting attention or interest; striking.
an arresting smile.
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making or having made an arrest.
the arresting officer.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of arresting
Explanation
Something arresting commands your attention. It's stunning, and you can't turn away. When the police arrest someone, they capture them. Likewise, when something is arresting, it captures your attention because it is so sensational. An arresting sight — like the Grand Canyon — makes you want to keep looking at it for hours. An arresting song is one you always want to hear. An arresting story is captivating and engrossing. Something arresting is not only entertaining; it's mesmerizing.
Vocabulary lists containing arresting
"Creativity at Work" and "The Hidden Secrets of the Creative Mind"
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Pay Attention! Synonyms for "Interesting"
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"Politics and the English Language" by George Orwell
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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.
That changed last year, attorneys said in the motion, citing an email from ICE headquarters in late May 2025 instructing field offices to begin arresting “collaterals,” or nontargets, en masse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the government on Tuesday, saying it had acted swiftly after the exam paper leaks by arresting several people.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
It works because her voice is singularly arresting, yet it’s no single sound.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
“Beauties” is more arresting on a number of levels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
“You would think,” Skarpi’s voice rolled out like thick honey, “fine churchmen such as yourselves could find better things to do than arresting storytellers and extorting money from honest men.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
