intriguing
Britishadjective
Other Word Forms
- intriguingly adverb
Explanation
Intriguing things or people arouse curiosity and have an indescribable draw. If you find the night sky intriguing and enjoy pondering the limitlessness of the universe, you should consider becoming an astronomer. When this adjective was first recorded in the 1600’s, anything intriguing had something to do with “tricking, deceiving, or cheating.” It wasn't until much later that intriguing lost its sinister sense and became simply a word to describe something with alluring mystery. Synonyms for intriguing run the gamut from captivating and delightful to riveting and titillating.
Vocabulary lists containing intriguing
Walk Two Moons
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12 More Interesting Ways to Say "interesting"
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Pay Attention! Synonyms for "Interesting"
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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.
This bullish phenomenon is at odds with how investors often respond to uncertainty—and that’s intriguing.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
The sub-aqua club's team carrying out the diving investigations called the wreck's story "as intriguing as it is elusive".
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
We ended up going “Purple” just because it just feels a little bit more intriguing, a little more vague, a little poetic and kind of let the audience feel out what this is.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
For scientists and space exploration advocates, the hope is that support will come together in time to make a return to this intriguing world possible, whether Starship plays a role or not.
From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026
Her daughter, Pamela, was a teenager already and not so interested in me, though I found all teenagers intriguing.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
