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

Example 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 So that image has always fascinated me. Maria Reva september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025 She is fascinated by the interplay between gender, money and power. Meredith Moore, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 Dixon grew up hunting deer on his family property in Missouri and had always been fascinated by animal behavior. Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2025 The three segments were filmed in New Jersey, Dublin, and Paris — a fittingly global choice from a director who has always been fascinated by the ways that multicultural relations shape our smallest interactions. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fascinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fascinate
Verb
  • There are tons of enticing cold and hot drinks.
    Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Responding to the demand, and hoping to entice younger shoppers into their financial ecosystems, payment facilitators such as Cash App, the BNPL provider Klarna, the fintech bank Chime, and even American Express have recently launched their own debit cards.
    Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Taylor and Travis corn maze will open on Saturday and folks at Johnson Farms hope the visitors will be enchanted.
    Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
  • However, Labyrinth has since become a beloved cult favorite, continuing to enchant and delight viewers.
    Logan Karlie September 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Chances are, there’s a book on a topic that interests you.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
  • If casting a line doesn’t interest you, check out baking and walking trails, go snorkeling, do some bird watching, or simply soak in the sun.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • It’s left supporters on Capitol Hill delighted, frustrated, or wondering what’s next.
    Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Monteverde’s cloud forest is a haven for nature lovers, with canopy walks and wildlife encounters that will delight young and old alike.
    Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The 6-1, 204-pound right winger is thrilled to share a line with Dvorsky and Stenberg.
    Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The Bishops’ persistence was rewarded when Maeve Delaney scored off a corner kick, which thrilled the team and head coach Gary Burke.
    Hannah Hughes, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Hanna When Kirsten Becken first reached out to me about joining the Femxphotographers collective, I was both flattered and intrigued.
    Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
  • And for users particularly intrigued by their own data, there's even the potential to use AI to cross data streams from different platforms and perhaps understand even more about how their music choices impact their lives and tastes more broadly.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Brandi Chastain’s thrilling penalty kick to win the 1999 women’s World Cup for the United States captivated soccer fans across the county, prompting a boom in the sport and paving the way for leagues like the National Women’s Soccer League today.
    Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Inspired by museum collections and Art Deco design, the geometry and exactness of bold shapes in earthy tones are captivating.
    Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • International headlines often paint Haiti as a nation gripped by crisis — from political unrest and economic hardship to uncertainty about the future and unruly crime.
    Footwear News, Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025
  • However, with vaccination rates slipping and anti-vaccine misinformation and views gripping the country, health experts fear seeing more of these devastating cases.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fascinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fascinate. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on fascinate

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