- 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.
Yet the most fascinating story of the night was not happening at ABC, NBC or CNN, nor was it found in the familiar chest-thumping of administration cabinet members.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Except, in the midst of that project, McElwee’s focus shifts, delightfully, to his disastrous love life and the fascinating women he meets in his travels, becoming a deeply humane examination of modern courtship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
One of the home’s more fascinating features is a sunken conversation pit lined with sumptuous sofas in the living room.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Now either Noskova or Muchova will become their latest Grand Slam champion - and it will be a fascinating match of contrasting styles.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
As he returned to the States, Farmer considered his year in Haiti, where he had met a beautiful and fascinating young woman and learned numerous lessons about poverty, culture, and religion, a success.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
