fascinate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to attract and hold attentively by a unique power, personal charm, unusual nature, or some other special quality; enthrall.
His natural vivacity fascinates and dominates his audience, leading them wherever he will.
-
to arouse the interest or curiosity of.
As I learned about ancient Egyptian religion, I found elements that fascinated me.
-
to transfix or deprive of the power of resistance, as through terror.
The sight of the snake fascinated the rabbit.
-
Obsolete. to bewitch.
-
Obsolete. to cast under a spell by a look.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to attract and delight by arousing interest or curiosity
his stories fascinated me for hours
-
to render motionless, as with a fixed stare or by arousing terror or awe
-
archaic to put under a spell
Usage
A person can be fascinated by or with another person or thing. It is correct to speak of someone's fascination with a person or thing; one can also say a person or thing has a fascination for someone
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have fascinatedperfect
-
has fascinatedperfect 3rd person singular
-
has been fascinatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
fascinatingparticiple
-
have been fascinatingperfect progressive
-
fascinatessingular 3rd person
-
are fascinatingprogressive
-
is fascinatingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
am fascinatingprogressive 1st person singular
Past
-
had fascinatedperfect
-
was fascinatingprogressive singular
-
were fascinatingprogressive plural
-
fascinatedparticiple
-
fascinatedsimple
-
had been fascinatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of fascinate
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin fascinātus, past participle of fascināre “to bewitch, cast a spell on,” verbal derivative of fascinum “evil spell, bewitchment”
Explanation
Anything that sparks your interest or makes you wonder has the ability to fascinate. If you catch someone's interest, and then hold it, you fascinate them. Be careful. The word fascinate actually comes from Latin and French words meaning "witchcraft," and although these days fascinate is used under much tamer circumstances, there is some sense in the word that the person's appeal is not quite normal: there might be a spell-like quality to his or her charms. Thus, the word is often used to describe a new love. On the other hand, you might find the study of exotic beetles fascinating. To each his own.
Vocabulary lists containing fascinate
Woman Hollering Creek
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Lessons 2–3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
“You Fascinate Me So,” by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh, was heated to a sizzle.
From New York Times • Mar. 23, 2015
I know you don't like the Fascinate, but other owners seem to like it.
From Washington Post • Dec. 17, 2010
The X boasts impressive hardware, but it might a bit *too* big for me, so I'm leaning toward the Incredible or Fascinate.
From Washington Post • Dec. 17, 2010
Thus, to awed and adoring Italian newsgatherers, spoke the Prince of Montenevoso, famed as Gabriele D'Annunzio, upon the theme, "Why I Fascinate Women."
From Time Magazine Archive
I could have faced, Methinks, a Sylla's menace; but they clasp, And raise, and wring their dim and deathlike hands, And with their thin aspen faces and fixed eyes Fascinate mine.
From The Works of Lord Byron. Vol. 5 Poetry by Coleridge, Ernest Hartley
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.
