mesmerize

[mez-muh-rahyz, mes-]

See more synonyms for mesmerize on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), mes·mer·ized, mes·mer·iz·ing.

to hypnotize.
to spellbind; fascinate.
to compel by fascination.

Also especially British, mes·mer·ise.

Origin of mesmerize

First recorded in 1820–30; mesmer(ism) + -ize

Related formsmes·mer·i·za·tion, nounmes·mer·iz·er, nounun·mes·mer·ized, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for mesmerized

Contemporary Examples

I had been mesmerized all my life by her tales of love, war, and escape that played out like a movie before my eyes.
‘Crossing the Borders of Time:’ A Mother’s Rekindled Love
Sandra McElwaine
May 13, 2012
Two weeks ago the 30-minute video “Kony 2012” shocked and mesmerized the world via YouTube.
Where’s the Outrage Over the Killing of Trayvon Martin?
Allison Samuels
March 19, 2012
Despite mounting evidence, Bristol “ignored his lies, mesmerized by what I thought was love.”
Bristol Palin’s Memoir: The Juiciest Bits
Marlow Stern
June 21, 2011
He was mesmerized by the variety and the ease with which everything appeared.
My Disney Cruise from Hell
Laura Bennett
April 9, 2010
I was mesmerized by the magic radio was,” Beck remembers, “how it could create pictures in my head.
Glenn Beck's Dark Past
John Avlon
January 22, 2010

Historical Examples

He felt as if he had been mesmerized; as if he could neither move nor speak.
The Borough Treasurer
Joseph Smith Fletcher
She could not proceed, mesmerized as she seemed to be under that awful gaze.
The Silver Lining
John Roussel
How would you know that you were mesmerized, and how would you help yourself?
A Little Union Scout
Joel Chandler Harris
He mesmerized numbers of the boys, and made them do or think whatever he said.
A Boy's Town
W. D. Howells
There lay the magic of his power over Mr. Spokesly's mesmerized soul.
Command
William McFee

British Dictionary definitions for mesmerized

mesmerize

mesmerise

verb (tr)

a former word for hypnotize
to hold (someone) as if spellbound

Derived Formsmesmerization or mesmerisation, nounmesmerizer or mesmeriser, noun

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

Word Origin and History for mesmerized

mesmerize

v.

1829, back-formation from mesmerism. Transferred sense of "enthrall" is first attested 1862. Related: Mesmerized; mesmerizing.

mesmerize

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}mesmerize

Examples from the Web for mesmerized

Contemporary Examples

I had been mesmerized all my life by her tales of love, war, and escape that played out like a movie before my eyes.

Two weeks ago the 30-minute video “Kony 2012” shocked and mesmerized the world via YouTube.

Despite mounting evidence, Bristol “ignored his lies, mesmerized by what I thought was love.”

He was mesmerized by the variety and the ease with which everything appeared.

I was mesmerized by the magic radio was,” Beck remembers, “how it could create pictures in my head.

Historical Examples

He felt as if he had been mesmerized; as if he could neither move nor speak.

She could not proceed, mesmerized as she seemed to be under that awful gaze.

How would you know that you were mesmerized, and how would you help yourself?

He mesmerized numbers of the boys, and made them do or think whatever he said.

There lay the magic of his power over Mr. Spokesly's mesmerized soul.

mesmerize

mesmerise

Word Origin and History for mesmerized

mesmerize

v.

Origin of mesmerize