fascinate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
fascinates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
fascinated,
past participle, past
-
fascinating
present participle
-
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)
-
fascinates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
fascinated,
past participle, past
-
fascinating
present participle
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
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
fascinatesimple
-
fascinatessimple
-
have fascinatedperfect
-
has fascinatedperfect
-
am fascinatingprogressive
-
are fascinatingprogressive
-
is fascinatingprogressive
-
have been fascinatingperfect progressive
-
has been fascinatingperfect progressive
Past
-
fascinatedsimple
-
had fascinatedperfect
-
was fascinatingprogressive
-
were fascinatingprogressive
-
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.
See Examples For:
In Italy, where she has no public role, Catherine seemed to fascinate people.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
Or is it only the archetypal Oedipus and Antigone who fascinate us?
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026
But the subject also appears to fascinate him.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2025
“In her 1970 tome ‘The Complete Book of Magic and Witchcraft,’ Kathryn Paulsen said, ‘You may fascinate a woman by giving her a piece of cheese.’
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2025
Skeeter refuses to give any more away on this intriguing subject, so we turn instead to the relationship that will undoubtedly fascinate her readers more than any other.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
The American experiment in liberty fascinates Jimmy, and his papers and magazines reflected that.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
But it is what lies beneath that fascinates him most.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
"Their war cry is 'let's live life, let's live it healthily, let's live well,' and obviously this fascinates me."
From Barron's ● May 5, 2026
Despite being so vocal, Cudi still retains a mystique quality that fascinates fans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026
It fascinates us, but it rules the Gethenians, dominates them.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
The reason I’m so fascinated with a subject I find petrifying is that math has become proof of how AI can warp an entire field—and how fast it can happen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
Farinacci had been struggling since the birth of his son in May 2025, according to the affidavit, and became fascinated with fires and arsonists.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
He admitted to being fascinated by fire, and that "things that go through fire experience a kind of rebirth," a detective said in the document.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Some viewers were fascinated with Argentine sports commentator Andrés Cantor’s elongated “¡gooool!” cheer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
It was serendipitous when writer Thomas Keneally walked into the luggage store that the Pages owned in Beverly Hills and became fascinated by the story Mr. Page told him.
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
We have a few fascinating reads to kick off your weekend.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
The uncanny behavior of the models is fascinating, slightly disturbing—and deeply perplexing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
I left a message for the state senator’s office, wanting to know more about what must be a fascinating backstory to this urban legislator’s measure, but like the population of California grizzlies, I scored zero.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Beneath all the Hollywood spectacle is a fascinating question: What could humanity actually do with an asteroid if we were able to reach and use one?
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
Miss Matilda Maddox, you are the wittiest, most fascinating flower to bloom in Baltimore in years.”
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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.
