riveting

adjective

riv·​et·​ing ˈri-və-tiŋ How to pronounce riveting (audio)
: having the power to fix the attention : engrossing, fascinating
a riveting story
rivetingly adverb

Examples of riveting in a Sentence

a riveting explanation of light waves that fascinated the class
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The festival’s other major eat-the-rich polemic is, in the grand scheme of Yorgos Lanthimos’s oeuvre, a minor work, to be sure, but still a riveting, twisty, and raucously funny one. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2025 Adapted from Bernard-Marie Koltès’s play ‘Black Battles with Dogs’, Denis’ riveting drama gives primacy to her actors – their dialogues expressing inner desires and articulating the broader societal inequities that prevail between those who reside on either side of the fence. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025 Omar, tormented by the first girl’s dying screams, enlists the help of his exhausted supervisor, Rana (Saja Kilani, riveting), who was on her way home after a long shift when Hind’s predicament first crossed his screen. Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025 Instead, what Law finds in Putin is a riveting dismissiveness. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for riveting

Word History

First Known Use

1677, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of riveting was in 1677

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Cite this Entry

“Riveting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riveting. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

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