- present participle of fetch.
fetching
Americanadjective
adjective
-
attractively befitting
a fetching hat
-
charming
a fetching personality
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fetching
Explanation
To be fetching is to be attractive and beautitful. A fetching woman catches people's interest. When a dog fetches something, he grabs it, just like attractive sights take your interest. Fetching is a word for sights that capture your interest because of their beauty. Usually, this word applies to females: you're most likely to read about a lovely, fetching woman. A beautiful woman who everyone looks at is fetching: she grabs their attention. You could also say other things, like a gorgeous mountain or a well-designed building, are fetching if they grab your attention.
Vocabulary lists containing fetching
The Downstairs Girl
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The Shakespeare Stealer
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Moon Over Manifest
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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.
In my case, my 2023 Mercedes EQS had an end-of-lease buyout of nearly $60,000, between $15,000 and $20,000 higher than what used examples were fetching from retailers like CarMax.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Malbon notes that many of these stocks are no longer fetching giant premiums to the broader market, either.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
Chiedza, who could not swim, got out of her depth while fetching a volleyball from the sea while playing with her 11-year-old cousin.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
Palantir, with an even more enthusiastic fan base, was among the 20 most valuable S&P 500 companies at its November peak, fetching a ludicrous 150 times sales.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
“You were my steward, fetching my food and cleaning up my leavings. I was lord commander, with never a moment’s peace.”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
