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
Derived 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.
Arresting a wanted war criminal, as Mengele was in 1961, would have involved Swiss federal police.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
"Arresting people for their suffering is not just ineffective, it’s inhumane."
From Salon • May 24, 2025
Arresting and alarming though that is, it sets up an impossible comparison with the rest of the play, which, despite the director Jo Bonney’s efforts, is woefully light on dramatic ammunition.
From New York Times • Jun. 4, 2024
Arresting them raises similar concerns as arresting journalists — namely that it stifles independent oversight of police at such events.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2024
“This dam, this conservancy district has the farmers down there on pins and needles. Arresting Joe Mondragon for a symbolic act like this could start something nasty.”
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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.
