mesmerize

American  

[mez-muh-rahyz, mes-] / ˈmɛz məˌraɪz, ˈmɛs- /

especially British, mesmerise

verb (used with object)

mesmerized, mesmerizing

1. to completely capture the attention of; spellbind; fascinate.

   This young pianist has mesmerized audiences with her incredible technique and range of musical expression.

2. to hypnotize or put into a trancelike state; cause (someone) to be open to the power of suggestion or unable to act on their own.

   According to ancient myth, the song of the sea nymphs mesmerized sailors, drawing them into disastrous waters.

3. to cause or compel through fascination or by hypnotizing.

   Advertising can easily mesmerize us into thinking that wealth is the same as money and possessions.

   In this game scene, the warriors do not know they’ve been mesmerized into the service of the enemy.

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mesmerize British  

/ ˈmɛzməˌraɪz /

verb

1. a former word for hypnotize

2. to hold (someone) as if spellbound

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Other Word Forms

• mesmerization noun
• mesmerizer noun

Etymology

Origin of mesmerize

First recorded in 1820–30; back formation from mesmerism

Example Sentences

I stood mesmerized by the brown-eyed boy staring back at me.

From Literature

The flood of slop in 2025, they concluded, was prolific and oddly mesmerizing.

From Salon

It’s a bit too long, with a lot of text to follow, but Hildegard’s visions, exploding out of the plot scenes, are mesmerizing.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I was mesmerized by the landscapes and architecture,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times

Walking down Sixth Avenue in New York recently, I was mesmerized by a Salvation Army dude with his red donation bucket dancing to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• enthrall
• fascinate
• hypnotize
• stupefy