fascinated

American

[fas-uh-ney-tid] / ˈfæs əˌneɪ tɪd /

adjective

having the attention attracted and held by a person or thing having unique power or charm, unusual character, etc.; enthralled or captivated.

The nature trail guide opened one of the boxes to let the fascinated onlookers view two baby bluebirds inside.
strongly interested or intrigued by something.

I'm speaking now not as a lawyer, just as a fascinated observer of mankind.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of fascinate.

Other Word Forms

fascinatedly adverb
half-fascinated adjective
quasi-fascinated adjective
unfascinated adjective

Etymology

Origin of fascinated

fascinate ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

When you're fascinated, you're hypnotized, mesmerized, spellbound, and transfixed — totally absorbed by something. There are two ways to be fascinated: You can be fascinated by something happening right now, like an interesting new video game you're playing. Other fascinations are more long term, like a scientist who devotes his life to studying birds because he's fascinated by them. Things that make you fascinated have to be so interesting and so intriguing that it feels like they have a magic grip on your attention span.

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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.

The playwright was fascinated by Broadway star Laurette Taylor and her abrupt manner with house guests, and based Hay Fever on her family.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Born into a family of prominent conservatives, Magyar was fascinated with politics from an early age.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

I was fascinated by the “tragedy paradox” that you mentioned in your book.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Clement “was fascinated by powerful businessmen,” Bartholomew added, and he “appears to have further believed that their very names are puns that reveal God’s purposes.”

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

He squeezes my hand tighter, and we all continue to watch this family, fascinated, like they’re actors starring in a movie.

From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023