Synonym Chooser

How is the word fascinate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of fascinate are allure, attract, captivate, charm, and enchant. While all these words mean "to draw another by exerting a powerful influence," fascinate suggests a magical influence and tends to stress the ineffectiveness of attempts to resist.

a story that continues to fascinate children

When could allure be used to replace fascinate?

The words allure and fascinate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, allure implies an enticing by what is fair, pleasing, or seductive.

an alluring smile

When is attract a more appropriate choice than fascinate?

The meanings of attract and fascinate largely overlap; however, attract applies to any degree or kind of ability to exert influence over another.

students attracted by the school's locale

How are the words charm and captivate related as synonyms of fascinate?

Charm implies the power of casting a spell over the person or thing affected and so compelling a response, but it may, like captivate, suggest no more than evoking delight or admiration.

charmed by their hospitality
her performances captivated audiences

When would enchant be a good substitute for fascinate?

While the synonyms enchant and fascinate are close in meaning, enchant is perhaps the strongest of these terms in stressing the appeal of the agent and the degree of delight evoked in the subject.

hopelessly enchanted by her beauty

Examples Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of fascinate The complexities of such an arrangement fascinated me: What happens to your relationship with your parent or your sibling when that person is also your business partner? Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2025 The Frenchman was fascinated by the subject and even allowed Jordet and his team of researchers to install cameras at the club’s Emirates Stadium during the 2017-18 season to study his players. Stuart James, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025 Their interior design approach was always very eclectic, sometimes even a bit crazy, but that fascinated me. Valerie Präkelt, Architectural Digest, 29 Dec. 2024 Fishing for Microbes For years, Irene Salinas has been fascinated by a simple physiological fact: The distance between the nose and the brain is quite small. Yasemin Saplakoglu, WIRED, 5 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for fascinate 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fascinate
Verb
  • With 18 seasons of NFL head coaching experience, a Super Bowl in 2013 with Seattle and a college football national championship in 2004 with USC, the winning pedigree could entice the front office to bring him in.
    Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Eventually, he was enticed to talk after being offered immunity from prosecution.
    Astha Rajvanshi, NBC News, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • This enchanting one-mile illuminated trail takes you on a nighttime journey through the forest.
    Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
  • The masque, performed by gentle spirits, enchants the betrothed.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Cotton said a president needs to keep qualified individuals interested in serving the White House and that may sometimes require enhanced security for officials.
    DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS, arkansasonline.com, 27 Jan. 2025
  • Now Inkle’s library generates enough money to allow Ingold to make only the games that interest him.
    Samuel Horti, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Following the birth of Patrick and Brittany Mahomes’ daughter, Golden Raye, last Sunday, Randi Mahomes delighted fans with a post on Instagram following the blessed event.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 19 Jan. 2025
  • There is an argument that Alexander-Arnold is just a 21st-century version of Glenn Hoddle, a midfield playmaker who both delighted and baffled the country in the 1980s.
    Rory Smith, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The director found a method for keeping the thriller elements thrilling.
    Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Our kids were thrilled at the prospect of a sleepover and disappeared inside to play, while the adults stood at the door, staring at the mountain ablaze in the distance.
    Paula James-Martinez, Glamour, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Madison's logic has certainly intrigued many, and the video has gone viral with more than 128,700 views and almost 10,000 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
  • This will not be a very popular take, and maybe its the optimist in me, but I'm intrigued by most of the analytic models that have USC as a top ~20 team, despite their mediocre record.
    Antonio Morales, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Artistry Mask is a peel-off mask that, when applied and set, gives the exact glass-like radiance that so captivated the audience that night.
    Jessica Diner, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Meanwhile, Hollywood icon Hepburn captivated hearts during the ‘50s and ‘60s.
    Stephanie Giang-Paunon, Fox News, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Image Neither declines in border crossings or fentanyl overdoses could much make a difference if Mr. Trump chooses to focus on the cartel bloodshed gripping large parts of Mexico as justification for imposing tariffs on its exports.
    Simon Romero, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025
  • With a frigid polar vortex set to grip huge swaths of the U.S. in the coming days, the city could see anywhere between 3 and 5 inches of snow before the quick-moving but significant storm breaks up in the early hours of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
    Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near fascinate

Cite this Entry

“Fascinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fascinate. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on fascinate

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