intrigue
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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.
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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)
noun
-
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
-
the act or an instance of secret plotting, etc
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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
-
intriguesimple
-
intriguessimple
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have intriguedperfect
-
has intriguedperfect
-
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:
“The first intrigue is finding out who Dan Tana is,” says Johnson.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Former United teammates have also expressed intrigue and amusement at their one-time skipper's new career path.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
Its low temperature has added to its intrigue.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026
Burden’s glamorous pedigree only adds to the story’s allure and intrigue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
These were happy, well-adjusted teens with lives that were accordingly rich with activities and social intrigue having nothing to do with their parents.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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
What intrigues the city, for at least part of the parking lots around Angel Stadium: a youth sports park for all those travel ball teams.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
"Pep intrigues me," said Robinson, who is now head coach of Salford City.
From BBC ● May 18, 2026
If the idea of moving into a university retirement community intrigues you, take these steps before signing a contract:
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 10, 2026
Eddard Stark had no taste for these intrigues.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
The Dodgers were intrigued by his repertoire and heat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
It’s bold, a little funky, and exactly the kind of recipe that makes people either immediately intrigued or deeply skeptical.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
But Jain was intrigued by Forge Prep, a new school for fifth through eighth-graders in nearby Livingston that promised learning through real-world problem-solving, building businesses and designing products.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Micron Technology’s latest earnings are further fueling SK Hynix’s stock — and analysts are intrigued about what’s to come after the South Korean memory giant completes its U.S. listing next month.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026
She calmly placed her cards on an old carpenter's bench, saying anything that came into her head, while the boy waited beside her, more bored than intrigued.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The research team came across intriguing findings from their study of shift workers in the Arctic Circle, where the sun barely sets in summer and sleep has to be won from the never-ending day.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Discount brokers don’t like to talk about how many customers defy the odds, but Peterffy’s firm provided an intriguing clue via an advertisement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
What makes this behavior so intriguing is that the crystals were not used as tools, weapons, or jewelry.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
But you don’t have to wholly buy into the idea of a character like Sonny to find something intriguing about what Adeline is saying about storytelling throughout “People Watching.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Several intriguing artifacts were found with Mallory’s remains, but Anker’s astonishing discovery raised more questions than it answered.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
