intrigue

[verb in-treeg; noun in-treeg, in-treeg]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR intrigue ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), in·trigued, in·tri·guing.

to arouse the curiosity or interest of by unusual, new, or otherwise fascinating or compelling qualities; appeal strongly to; captivate: The plan intrigues me, but I wonder if it will work.

to achieve or earn by appealing to another's curiosity, fancy, or interest: to intrigue one's way into another's notice.

to draw or capture: Her interest was intrigued by the strange symbol.

to accomplish or force by crafty plotting or underhand machinations.

Obsolete. to entangle.

Obsolete. to trick or cheat.

verb (used without object), in·trigued, in·tri·guing.

to plot craftily or underhandedly.

to carry on a secret or illicit love affair.

noun

the use of underhand machinations or deceitful stratagems.

such a machination or stratagem or a series of them; a plot or crafty dealing: political intrigues.

a secret or illicit love affair.

the series of complications forming the plot of a play.

Origin of intrigue

1640–50; < French intriguer < Italian intrigare < Latin intrīcāre to entangle; see intricate

Related formsin·tri·guer, nounin·tri·guing·ly, adverbout·in·trigue, verb (used with object), out·in·trigued, out·in·tri·guing.un·in·trigued, adjectiveun·in·tri·guing, adjective

Synonyms for intrigue

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR intrigue ON THESAURUS.COM

1. interest, attract, fascinate. 7. manipulate. 9, 10. manipulation.

Synonym study

10. See conspiracy.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for intrigue

plot, complication, chicanery, machination, conspiracy, fraud, intimacy, tickle, fascinate, excite, captivate, please, delight, pique, entertain, charm, titillate, attract, enchant, rivet

Examples from the Web for intrigue

Contemporary Examples of intrigue

On another, more macro level, did you find Europe to be such a cesspool of intrigue?
How The Cold War Endgame Played Out In The Rubble Of The Berlin Wall
William O’Connor
November 9, 2014
India really does intrigue against Pakistan in the same way Pakistan plots against India.
Why So Many Pakistanis Hate Their Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Chris Allbritton
October 10, 2014
The extra layer of intrigue alluded to in that statement is that the WWE itself is an international brand.
Putin Vs. Obama—In Spandex: Wrestling’s New Cold War
Tim Teeman
May 14, 2014
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt This story has it all: love, betrayal, secrecy, and intrigue.
Real-Life Couples on Screen: Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, Brangelina, and More
Amy Zimmerman
May 1, 2014
For locals in Buenos Aires (called Porteños), the intrigue of the infamous green spirit dates back over a hundred years.
The Absinthe-Minded Porteños of Buenos Aires
Jeff Campagna
March 10, 2014

Historical Examples of intrigue

Like an ancient Greek, his spirit loved intrigue for intrigue's sake.
Alice, or The Mysteries, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Was it not possible that Lorenzi might be a party to the intrigue?
Casanova's Homecoming
Arthur Schnitzler
What was that story about his intrigue with a married lady—Lady who was it?
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Anne Bronte
I mean to say, as food it was noncommittal; it failed to intrigue.
Ruggles of Red Gap
Harry Leon Wilson
Comedy of intrigue and comedy of character lead to no real catastrophe.
The American Mind
Bliss Perry

British Dictionary definitions for intrigue

intrigue

verb (ɪnˈtriːɡ) -trigues, -triguing or -trigued

(tr) to make interested or curiousI'm intrigued by this case, Watson

(intr) to make secret plots or employ underhand methods; conspire

(intr often foll by with) to carry on a clandestine love affair

noun (ɪnˈtriːɡ, ˈɪntriːɡ)

the act or an instance of secret plotting, etc

a clandestine love affair

the quality of arousing interest or curiosity; beguilement

Derived Formsintriguer, noun

Word Origin for intrigue

C17: from French intriguer, from Italian intrigare, from Latin intrīcāre; see intricate

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

Word Origin and History for intrigue

1610s, "to trick, deceive, cheat" (earlier entriken, late 14c.), from French intriguer (16c.), from Italian intrigare "to plot, meddle," from Latin intricare "entangle" (see intricate). Meaning "to plot or scheme" first recorded 1714; that of "to excite curiosity" is from 1894. Related: Intrigued; intriguing (1680s, "plotting, scheming;" meaning "exciting curiosity" is from 1909).

1640s, probably from intrigue (v.).