intrigue
Americanverb (used with object)
-
intrigues,
present (3rd person singular)
-
intrigued,
past participle, past
-
intriguing
present participle
-
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.
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to accomplish or force by crafty plotting or underhand machinations.
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Obsolete. to entangle.
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Obsolete. to trick or cheat.
verb (used without object)
-
intrigues,
present (3rd person singular)
-
intrigued,
past participle, past
-
intriguing
present participle
noun
-
intrigues
plural
-
the use of underhand machinations or deceitful stratagems.
- Synonyms:
- manipulation
-
such a machination or stratagem or a series of them; a plot or crafty dealing.
political intrigues.
- Synonyms:
- manipulation
-
a secret or illicit love affair.
-
the series of complications forming the plot of a play.
verb
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(tr) to make interested or curious
I'm intrigued by this case, Watson
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(intr) to make secret plots or employ underhand methods; conspire
-
to carry on a clandestine love affair
noun
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the act or an instance of secret plotting, etc
-
a clandestine love affair
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the quality of arousing interest or curiosity; beguilement
Synonym Usage
See conspiracy.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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intriguesimple
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intriguessimple
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have intriguedperfect
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has intriguedperfect
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am intriguingprogressive
-
are intriguingprogressive
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is intriguingprogressive
-
have been intriguingperfect progressive
-
has been intriguingperfect progressive
Past
-
intriguedsimple
-
had intriguedperfect
-
was intriguingprogressive
-
were intriguingprogressive
-
had been intriguingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of intrigue
First recorded in 1640–50; from French intriguer, from Italian intrigare, from Latin intrīcāre “to entangle”; see intricate
Explanation
An intrigue is a secret plot. If you ever become the monarch of a small island kingdom, keep watch for signs of any intrigue against you. Intrigue comes from the Latin verb intricare, "to entangle," and is related to intricate. It can be a noun, meaning "underhanded plot," or a verb for the act of plotting. Agents of two opposing powers intrigue against each other. In the late 19th century it also came to mean the feeling of curiosity or interest. If someone's ideas intrigue you, you want to know more about them.
Vocabulary lists containing intrigue
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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.
See Examples For:
With typical wryness, Jake jokes his way into the intrigue: “I walked the road a quarter mile,” he recalls of a familiar stroll, “and that’s how I wound up in the graveyard ahead of schedule.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
He found echoes of Shakespeare in the royal intrigue that sends Rama into exile, and of Homer in his quest to rescue Sita.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
His claim was eventually rejected, but the possibility of undiscovered planets continued to intrigue astronomers for generations.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026
He described the film as "a comedy with romance, with intrigue, with infidelity, with all the ingredients that I always think are going to make a good story".
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
The Elders watch with a mix of intrigue and disapproval.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Uganda's tempestuous army chief has once again vowed to run for president and succeed his long-ruling father, but palace intrigues are swirling as he faces a challenge from a brother-in-law.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Hawk and Pína present a noticeably different picture of a relationship than most rom-coms offer — a kinetic, unpredictable spark that fuels the movie’s uncertainty and intrigues the audience tenfold.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
More than 220 years later, the Lewis and Clark expedition still intrigues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
"I just take what intrigues me from different genres and different moods and apply them to the stories I want to tell."
From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2026
He had no taste for these intrigues, but he was beginning to realize that they were meat and mead to a man like Littlefinger.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Pakeman was intrigued by what computers like Davidson's Amiga could do when it came to art.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Demonstrators walked peacefully from Atocha train station to the Gran Via, the Spanish capital's prime shopping avenue, watched by intrigued tourists.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026
The other half was intrigued by her chutzpah.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Charlie Leshko, a retired maintenance man and janitor who lives in a seniors residence in Hazleton, was intrigued by the cash offer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
So I was intrigued when Peter asked me to help him sell cold drinks.
From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda
Woodward hasn’t resolved all of his, though Secrets amounts to an intriguing first try.
From Slate ● Nov. 12, 2026
That is unlikely, but there is an intriguing parallel there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026
How opponents deal with St. Francis’ size advantage will be one of the most intriguing storylines for the 2026-27 high school basketball season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026
Pochettino is also his own man, so it will be intriguing to see how he works with Ratcliffe, Berrada and Wilcox.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026
With almost no intriguing at all, General Peckem had executed a maneuver that would eventually double his strength.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
