intriguing
Britishadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
However, the role of nutrition is particularly intriguing, as certain dietary supplements may help support cellular health later in life.
From Science Daily • Jun. 11, 2026
Tuchel's willingness to allow Kane to roam freely, as he does for Bayern Munich, adds an intriguing layer to the German's strategy.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
Gathering together some of the anthology’s pithiest and most striking quotations, Mr. Romm’s book is an intriguing and occasionally frustrating aperitif that doesn’t fully satisfy but is nonetheless stimulating.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
It’s also the kind of success story that theatergoing audiences love to champion, and that fairweather viewers find intriguing enough to check out themselves.
From Salon • Jun. 4, 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
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.
