fascinating

1 of 2

adjective

fas·​ci·​nat·​ing ˈfa-sə-ˌnā-tiŋ How to pronounce fascinating (audio)
ˈfas-ˌnā-tiŋ
Synonyms of fascinating
: extremely interesting or charming : captivating
a fascinating documentary
gave a fascinating account of the expedition

fascinating

2 of 2

present participle of fascinate

Examples of fascinating in a Sentence

Adjective the fascinating cities and peoples of central Asia have been intriguing travelers at least since the time of Marco Polo the fascinating—but dubious—legend that Pocahontas rescued John Smith from certain death
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
But Boyle felt the more fascinating character was actually Lamb, who arrives in London as a northern outsider with something to prove. Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026 Powers tells us how Tehran, Under the Skin, a world premiere documentary directed by Afsaneh Salari, reveals a fascinating reality about contemporary Iranian society. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026 What a fascinating shift in media consumption — to think people were, in the early days of film, uncomfortable watching movies featuring performers who had died. Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 24 Aug. 2026 The close of that second day — admittedly of what became an all too short and one-sided Test because of Pakistan’s alarming frailties — brought a fascinating debate on the BBC’s Test Match Special podcast. Paul Newman, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fascinating

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see fascinate

First Known Use

Adjective

1618, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fascinating was in 1618

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fascinating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fascinating. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

fascinating

adjective
fas·​ci·​nat·​ing
ˈfas-ə-ˌnāt-iŋ
: extremely interesting or charming
fascinatingly adverb
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