intrigue

[ verb in-treeg; noun in-treeg, in-treeg ]

/ verb ɪnˈtrig; noun ɪnˈtrig, ˈɪn trig /

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See synonyms for: intrigue / intrigued / intrigues / intriguing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), in·trigued, in·tri·guing.

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.

to accomplish or force by crafty plotting or underhand machinations.

Obsolete. to entangle.

Obsolete. to trick or cheat.

verb (used without object), in·trigued, in·tri·guing.

to plot craftily or underhandedly.

to carry on a secret or illicit love affair.

noun

the use of underhand machinations or deceitful stratagems.

such a machination or stratagem or a series of them; a plot or crafty dealing: political intrigues.

a secret or illicit love affair.

the series of complications forming the plot of a play.

OTHER WORDS FOR intrigue

1 interest, attract, fascinate; enchant. enthrall.

7 plot, conspire,

9, 10 manipulation.

See synonyms for intrigue on Thesaurus.com

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Origin of intrigue

First recorded in 1640–50; from French intriguer, from Italian intrigare, from Latin intrīcāre “to entangle”; see intricate

synonym study for intrigue

10. See conspiracy.

OTHER WORDS FROM intrigue

in·tri·guer, nounin·tri·guing·ly, adverbout·in·trigue, verb (used with object), out·in·trigued, out·in·tri·guing.un·in·tri·guing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use intrigue in a sentence

But one issue, intriguingly, seems ripe for genuine bipartisan cooperation: criminal justice reform.
Why Isn’t Prison Justice on the Ballot This Tuesday?|Inimai Chettiar, Abigail Finkelman|November 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Conservatives attacking the president, intriguingly, might say the same.
Is Democracy Doomed Abroad?|James Poulos|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He even headed his own troop of forest hunters intriguingly known as the Cacciatori Americani.
Poet and Rake, Lord Byron Was Also an Interventionist With Brains and Savvy|Michael Weiss|February 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And more intriguingly, people who talk about it in away that suggests a platform that could genuinely unite Right and Left.
D.C. Needs a Grassroots Fix That Will Come When Left and Right Find Common Ground|Lawrence Lessig|February 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Prone to violence, Tony Soprano represented the unfettered darker impulses of the id, while also remaining intriguingly relatable.
Former ‘Sopranos’ Star James Gandolfini Dead at 51|Jace Lacob|June 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for intrigue

intrigue

verb (ɪnˈtriːɡ) -trigues, -triguing or -trigued

(tr) to make interested or curiousI'm intrigued by this case, Watson

(intr) to make secret plots or employ underhand methods; conspire

(intr often foll by with) to carry on a clandestine love affair

noun (ɪnˈtriːɡ, ˈɪntriːɡ)

the act or an instance of secret plotting, etc

a clandestine love affair

the quality of arousing interest or curiosity; beguilement

Derived forms of intrigue

intriguer, noun

Word Origin for intrigue

C17: from French intriguer, from Italian intrigare, from Latin intrīcāre; see intricate

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

intrigue

OTHER WORDS FOR intrigue

Origin of intrigue

synonym study for intrigue

OTHER WORDS FROM intrigue

Words related to intrigue

How to use intrigue in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for intrigue

Derived forms of intrigue

Word Origin for intrigue