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Synonyms

fascinating

American  
[fas-uh-ney-ting] / ˈfæs əˌneɪ tɪŋ /

adjective

  1. of great interest or attraction; enchanting; charming; captivating.

    a fascinating story;

    fascinating jewelry.
fascinating British  
/ ˈfæsɪˌneɪtɪŋ /

adjective

  1. arousing great interest

  2. enchanting or alluring

    a fascinating woman
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • fascinatingly adverb
  • half-fascinating adjective
  • half-fascinatingly adverb
  • quasi-fascinating adjective
  • quasi-fascinatingly adverb
  • unfascinating adjective

Etymology

Origin of fascinating

First recorded in 1640–50; fascinat(e) + -ing 2

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.

Squid and cuttlefish are among the ocean's most fascinating animals, known for their color-changing skin and jet-like movement.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

This looks like being the most fascinating fight in the latter part of the season.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

“Ghost Elephants” is a Werner Herzog film so, unsurprisingly, the titular characters play second fiddle to a man on an arduous quest, with fascinating digressions along the way.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

A fascinating study shows they’re very, very low.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

They might not be beautiful, but they're fascinating.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

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.