- present participle of intrigue.
intriguing
Britishadjective
Other Word Forms
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.
It could be an intriguing benchmark for the season's end.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Moreover, the cargo ships that carry the world’s lifeblood are intriguing physical spaces that rarely get explored on screen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
It is Bezos's involvement that makes the deal so intriguing and will trigger speculation about the future plans of Liverpool's owners.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Adornment is at its best when it feels wild and uncontained; when it’s both scary and intriguing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
But it was also intriguing, so he decided to read the rest of the page, which had been written by hand in a script that was loose and spidery.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
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.
