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.
On Tuesday, rights groups and lawmakers accused ICE of violating the judge's decision by arresting a 21-year-old man in the halls of 26 Federal Plaza.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
When speaking about his own work, he sometimes interrupted himself with an arresting scream.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
“This is a family town,” the arresting officer tells jeering onlookers as he and the two others handcuff Gamble.
From Slate • May 4, 2026
"We started praying," Janie recalls, while in the background she heard the immigration agents arresting him.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
The bustle of the North End was an arresting sight, and in the middle of it all, dwarfing almost every other building around it, stood an enormous structure that seemed completely out of place.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
