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.
One fascinating aspect of this year’s stock-market rally has been that it has been driven by earnings — or by expectations for rising profits.
From MarketWatch • May 29, 2026
That became the most fascinating thing to me.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
How Arsenal approach the game, having clinched the title without playing when Manchester City drew with Bournemouth last Tuesday, will be fascinating.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
But some nutrients have a more complicated story, and vitamin B12 is a fascinating example.
From Science Daily • May 27, 2026
Here, for example, are excerpts of interviews that the University of Missouri criminologist David Klinger did with police officers for his fascinating book Into the Kill Zone.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
