- present participle of fascinate.
fascinating
Americanadjective
adjective
-
arousing great interest
-
enchanting or alluring
a fascinating woman
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fascinating
First recorded in 1640–50; fascinat(e) + -ing 2
Explanation
Something fascinating really captures your interest: you can't take your eyes off it or can't wait to learn more about it. To a sports fan, a basketball game may be fascinating, including the smallest details, like who got the most assists and what kind of defense was played. Music fans find concerts fascinating. Many people think politics is fascinating — they can't get enough TV and magazine stories about the latest political events. Whatever you think is fascinating, it must really hold your attention: you always want to see and know more.
Vocabulary lists containing fascinating
12 More Interesting Ways to Say "interesting"
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Pay Attention! Synonyms for "Interesting"
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From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
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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.
To fight the industry’s double standards, she created a wealth of her own, making Madonna impossible to pin down and thus endlessly fascinating.
From Salon • Jul. 8, 2026
The fascinating tale of how the U.S. earned its reputation for decadent fried food: Quick, close your eyes and think of the most American dish you can.
From Slate • Jul. 6, 2026
Hall of Fame analyst Pam Shriver says the age gap adds a fascinating dimension to the grass-court chess match.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 4, 2026
"I had never seen robots playing football before. It was fascinating and really fun," Cho Woo-cheol, a 45-year-old construction company worker, told AFP.
From Barron's • Jul. 3, 2026
I could make no sense of the subject; my own thoughts swam always between me and the page I had usually found fascinating.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
