fascinating
Americanadjective
adjective
-
arousing great interest
-
enchanting or alluring
a fascinating woman
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fascinating
First recorded in 1640–50; fascinat(e) + -ing 2
Explanation
Something fascinating really captures your interest: you can't take your eyes off it or can't wait to learn more about it. To a sports fan, a basketball game may be fascinating, including the smallest details, like who got the most assists and what kind of defense was played. Music fans find concerts fascinating. Many people think politics is fascinating — they can't get enough TV and magazine stories about the latest political events. Whatever you think is fascinating, it must really hold your attention: you always want to see and know more.
Vocabulary lists containing fascinating
12 More Interesting Ways to Say "interesting"
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Pay Attention! Synonyms for "Interesting"
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From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
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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.
According to Elizabeth Margulis’s fascinating “Transported,” these dreams are wilder, more autobiographical and more communal than ordinary moments of mind-wandering.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
The discovery also raises a fascinating scientific question: how did these molecules survive for so long?
From Science Daily • May 14, 2026
If, against all odds, you have found the ERP fascinating, I recommend looking into something called the Capital Asset Pricing Model.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
Phil Foden's magical first-half assist and welcome return to form was the catalyst that Manchester City desperately needed to maintain their challenge in this season's fascinating Premier League title race.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
It's fascinating, maddening, a train wreck you can't pull your eyes away from, however morbid.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
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.
