mesmerize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to completely capture the attention of; spellbind; fascinate.
This young pianist has mesmerized audiences with her incredible technique and range of musical expression.
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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.
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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.
verb
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a former word for hypnotize
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to hold (someone) as if spellbound
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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mesmerizesimple
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mesmerizessimple
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have mesmerizedperfect
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has mesmerizedperfect
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am mesmerizingprogressive
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are mesmerizingprogressive
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is mesmerizingprogressive
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have been mesmerizingperfect progressive
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has been mesmerizingperfect progressive
Past
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mesmerizedsimple
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had mesmerizedperfect
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was mesmerizingprogressive
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were mesmerizingprogressive
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had been mesmerizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mesmerize
First recorded in 1820–30; back formation from mesmerism
Explanation
You meet someone and you can’t take your eyes off them, like you are connected by an invisible cord and can’t break free. Those kinds of people have the power to mesmerize, holding your attention like you’re under hypnosis. The word mesmerize comes from the last name of 18th century German physician Franz Mesmer, who believed that all people and objects are pulled together by a strong magnetic force, later called mesmerism. If you ever start to feel mesmerized, maybe it’s because you find someone fascinating, or maybe you’ve been hypnotized by a magician. Hard to tell from here.
Vocabulary lists containing mesmerize
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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.
See Examples For:
As a narrative of life — or ancient history or modern America — the paintings mesmerize.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2024
Still there is the natural arm talent that can mesmerize with effortless form and quick release.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 18, 2023
I’m referring to Ichiro, the Sultan of Slap, who used to mesmerize teammates and foes alike with his daily power display in batting practice.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 1, 2023
This was the first domestic event since CNN’s creation in 1980 to mesmerize the nation with saturation coverage by cable television.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 7, 2023
Garvey’s dance seemed to mesmerize Peter, who watched closely, following every movement.
From "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelsen
Paul McCartney still sells out stadiums and mesmerizes audiences with his charm, charisma and the deepest songbook in pop, but at 83, his voice is more strain than sweetness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
But what really mesmerizes are the windows, and the speculations they invite about who lives behind them.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 9, 2022
“The painting completely mesmerized me, and it mesmerizes almost anyone who sees it.”
From New York Times ● May 4, 2022
RELATED: Tilda Swinton mesmerizes as a woman possessed in Pedro Almodóvar striking take on "The Human Voice"
From Salon ● Apr. 1, 2022
Every artist mesmerizes us into his personal vision.
From Visions and Revisions A Book of Literary Devotions by Powys, John Cowper
“Son of Sam just mesmerized everybody for a long period,” recalled Michael Oreskes, then a reporter for the Daily News, whereas “LaGuardia was a one-time thing that then nobody could explain, nobody could figure out.”
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
“It may be,” Mr. Meese says, “that he became mesmerized with the—what did they call it? What was the name of the woman who was the reporter that wrote about the Supreme Court?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Absolutely mesmerized by the project that the whole team did.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026
Onlookers are invited to be mesmerized by the fuchsia flames of Gwi-Ma’s realm as the movie’s hooky synth pop bounces in the foreground.
From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2025
He was mesmerized by the Doctor is IN Doctor is OUT sign.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
The other actor whose presence deeply impacted the production, Nolan reports, is Samantha Morton, mesmerizing as Circe, the goddess who changes Odysseus’ men into swine.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
Our critic called the actor’s performance, for which Mr. Lithgow won a Tony, “a mesmerizing highlight of the theater season.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
His moves and fakes, practice-perfected and charmingly earthbound, make him a mesmerizing threat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
Three original songs and a mesmerizing live performance from Lady Gaga!
From Salon ● May 1, 2026
Hades had the same intense eyes, the same kind of mesmerizing, evil charisma.
From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
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.
