- 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.
“Animate” includes a fascinating chapter on clinical lycanthropy, a psychiatric condition in which the sufferer believes that he or she is an animal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
It’s all sumptuous to look at, from the movie-star faces to the weird but fascinating interiors of the Vermont mansion, all warm wood and stone accents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
It "made me realise how very lucky I've been in my life," she said, "working with Childline and the Silver Line, and meeting so many fascinating and inspiring people".
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Equally fascinating was his pulling back the curtain, so to speak, on the culture of football, particularly the NFL, where the expectation for players is to follow orders and “shut up and play.”
From Salon ● Sep. 29, 2026
Isn't it fascinating how long a few minutes seem when you are completely alone—except for a valiant tabby companion—at a strange train depot with not a familiar face in sight?
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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.
