mesmerize

American  

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

especially British, mesmerise

verb (used with object)

mesmerizes, present (3rd person singular) mesmerized, past participle, past mesmerizing present participle

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

Derived Forms

• mesmerization
  noun
• mesmerizer
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• mesmerizing
  present
• mesmerized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• mesmerize
  simple
• mesmerizes
  simple
• have mesmerized
  perfect
• has mesmerized
  perfect
• am mesmerizing
  progressive
• are mesmerizing
  progressive
• is mesmerizing
  progressive
• have been mesmerizing
  perfect progressive
• has been mesmerizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• mesmerized
  simple
• had mesmerized
  perfect
• was mesmerizing
  progressive
• were mesmerizing
  progressive
• had been mesmerizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will mesmerize
  simple
• will have mesmerized
  perfect
• will be mesmerizing
  progressive
• will have been mesmerizing
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mesmerize mesmerizes mesmerized mesmerizing

Stripped of his good looks and seductive accent, Colin Farrell still managed to mesmerize in “The Penguin,” which not only resuscitated an exhausted genre but took it to a new level of storytelling.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2025

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

For a second the colors mesmerize me, bright green and deep blue and brown.

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

But he also mesmerizes the cops to salute him and Laszlo by telling them he's Captain "Sully" Sullenberger and Laszlo is Tom Selleck's character from "Blue Bloods."

From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2023

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

Recorded onto 8-track tape during one night’s performance, a half-century later it still mesmerizes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2021

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

And I’m sure they were mesmerized by my makeup.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2026

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 ● Dec. 21, 2025

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

I stood mesmerized by the heat and the luscious scent until the rain interfered, running its icy fingers down my back, forcing me back to life.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

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

For years, I’d often come across people standing in pristine rivers, launching line in mesmerizing patterns.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

There are plenty of movies that are objectively glacial, yet mesmerizing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

Three original songs and a mesmerizing live performance from Lady Gaga!

From Salon ● May 1, 2026

They swayed in unison, some to the left, some to the right, with slow, mesmerizing movements.

From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• enthrall
• fascinate
• hypnotize
• stupefy