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
- arrestingly adverb
- nonarresting adjective
- unarresting adjective
Etymology
Origin of arresting
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.
Large demonstrations had been planned in several cities, but authorities have pressured the organizers, even arresting some, causing the rallies to be cancelled.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
The Metropolitan Police has said it will resume arresting protesters for supporting the proscribed group Palestine Action.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony played no small role in lifting the collective mood, preparing Tokyo to create what now feels like the world’s most arresting capital.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026
Here was a film trying so hard to convince the audience of its highbrowness that it lost the genuinely arresting effect these smaller-tier Hoover adaptations have by simply being honest with the audience.
From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026
“It’s nothing. You heard them, no one is arresting anyone.”
From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez
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.
