mesmerized

[ mez-muh-rahyzd, mes ]

adjective

1. in a hypnotic or trancelike state; hypnotized:

   “I could create the odor of any kind of fruit and make a mesmerized person taste and smell it,” wrote 19th-century psychic Phineas Quimby.

2. having the attention completely absorbed; fascinated, captivated, or spellbound:

   At our first annual poetry slam, 28 students wielded their verbal prowess in front of a mesmerized audience of over 300.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of mesmerize.

Other Words From

• un·mes·mer·ized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mesmerized¹

First recorded in 1825–35; mesmerize ( def ) + -ed ²( def ) for the adjective senses; mesmerize ( def ) + -ed ¹( def ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Salon goes through the ways Hernández has mesmerized audiences across the country.

From Salon

I was reading a journal he kept in prison, and I was mesmerized by the quality of his writing and the precision of his observations.

From Salon

I drove by the homes, mesmerized.

From Los Angeles Times

“He’s just so powerful, with strength and quickness,” Dodgers special assistant Ron Roenicke said before the season, mesmerized by Ohtani’s raw foot speed and explosiveness.

From Los Angeles Times

As I reflected on Benatar belting out the lyrics to “We Belong Together,” as Spyder mesmerized the audience with his guitar, I wondered if at the end of November Harris and Walz will say, “We belong together,” and more importantly will the country and our allies join in singing that chorus – as members of the audience did with Benatar in Southern California.

From Salon

Related Words

• absorbed
• aroused
• delighted
• enamored
• enchanted
• enthralled
• excited
• intoxicated
• thrilled