intrigue
Americanverb (used with object)
-
intrigues,
present (3rd person singular)
-
intrigued,
past participle, past
-
intriguing
present participle
-
to arouse the curiosity or interest of by unusual, new, or otherwise fascinating or compelling qualities; appeal strongly to; captivate.
The plan intrigues me, but I wonder if it will work.
-
to achieve or earn by appealing to another's curiosity, fancy, or interest.
to intrigue one's way into another's notice.
-
to draw or capture.
Her interest was intrigued by the strange symbol.
-
to accomplish or force by crafty plotting or underhand machinations.
-
Obsolete. to entangle.
-
Obsolete. to trick or cheat.
verb (used without object)
-
intrigues,
present (3rd person singular)
-
intrigued,
past participle, past
-
intriguing
present participle
noun
-
intrigues
plural
-
the use of underhand machinations or deceitful stratagems.
- Synonyms:
- manipulation
-
such a machination or stratagem or a series of them; a plot or crafty dealing.
political intrigues.
- Synonyms:
- manipulation
-
a secret or illicit love affair.
-
the series of complications forming the plot of a play.
verb
-
(tr) to make interested or curious
I'm intrigued by this case, Watson
-
(intr) to make secret plots or employ underhand methods; conspire
-
to carry on a clandestine love affair
noun
-
the act or an instance of secret plotting, etc
-
a clandestine love affair
-
the quality of arousing interest or curiosity; beguilement
Synonym Usage
See conspiracy.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
intriguesimple
-
intriguessimple
-
have intriguedperfect
-
has intriguedperfect
-
am intriguingprogressive
-
are intriguingprogressive
-
is intriguingprogressive
-
have been intriguingperfect progressive
-
has been intriguingperfect progressive
Past
-
intriguedsimple
-
had intriguedperfect
-
was intriguingprogressive
-
were intriguingprogressive
-
had been intriguingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of intrigue
First recorded in 1640–50; from French intriguer, from Italian intrigare, from Latin intrīcāre “to entangle”; see intricate
Explanation
An intrigue is a secret plot. If you ever become the monarch of a small island kingdom, keep watch for signs of any intrigue against you. Intrigue comes from the Latin verb intricare, "to entangle," and is related to intricate. It can be a noun, meaning "underhanded plot," or a verb for the act of plotting. Agents of two opposing powers intrigue against each other. In the late 19th century it also came to mean the feeling of curiosity or interest. If someone's ideas intrigue you, you want to know more about them.
Vocabulary lists containing intrigue
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 5
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Words for the High School Graduate
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Vance's appearance adds intrigue to the closing night.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
Explosive relationship scandals have ushered in a new era of reality TV intrigue in recent years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
The company aims to drum up intrigue this week by placing oversize pink luggage trunks across New York City before sailing a pink branded boat around Manhattan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Generally speaking, we at the Slatest try to avoid getting wrapped up in palace intrigue, especially media palace intrigue.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026
“A scandal? A deprived birthright? In what sort of messy intrigue are you involved?”
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
Uganda's tempestuous army chief has once again vowed to run for president and succeed his long-ruling father, but palace intrigues are swirling as he faces a challenge from a brother-in-law.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Over separate video calls, The Times caught up with Glatzer and Magnussen to discuss what intrigues them about the machinations of Silicon Valley and how their relationship with tech has changed.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
"Pep intrigues me," said Robinson, who is now head coach of Salford City.
From BBC ● May 18, 2026
More than 220 years later, the Lewis and Clark expedition still intrigues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
So our little intrigues played out while women whispered over the backs of the sofas and men, after supper, passed the port and listened to tales of the wars against the French and the Indians.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
"I was so intrigued when Dr. Stenton first contacted me, telling me about his work and asking if I'd be willing to provide a DNA sample," Preston said.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026
Folks might be especially intrigued by things the Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has been doing lately that start to overlap with the Fed’s sphere of influence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Friedman and Gomes were intrigued enough to have their group dig into the evolution of Heyward’s swing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
This year I'll return again, excited to catch up with my friends and intrigued to see what the new community-focused Pride is all about.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
He was intrigued by the idea of an educated woman.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
Perhaps the most intriguing comment made by Pollock this week was a desire to explore "other sports" during his career.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Ultimately, it is the face’s unreliability that Ms. Bound-Alberti renders at once intriguing and maddening.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
The new genomic analysis offers another intriguing connection.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026
Week three in high school football has so many intriguing games that fans will have lots of choices this week.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
The series of photos that emerged from this project were both intriguing and unsettling, the animals incredibly intricate and lifelike, and then you looked closer and realized what they had been made of.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
