- present participle of arrest.
arresting
Americanadjective
-
attracting or capable of attracting attention or interest; striking.
an arresting smile.
-
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.
In Europe and elsewhere, co-ordinated, multi-national police and customs operations take place regularly, seizing large numbers of stolen antiquities and arresting some of the traffickers.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Designed by Ma Yansong, the new building in Los Angeles is a structure of arresting and unusual size and shape, but it becomes less impressive once you get inside.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
The lawyers asked that Frimpong bar immigration agents from arresting people in the district unless they’ve conducted an escape risk analysis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
About 18 months later, when another arresting wire failed on the Truman, the Navy investigation listed “high operational tempo and inadequate manning” as a “causal factor.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
One tank commander announced that he would protect the protesters instead of arresting the reformers.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
