mesmerizing

[ mez-muh-rahy-zing, mes- ]

adjective

1. completely engrossing; captivating or fascinating:

   He spoke to us extemporaneously for at least two hours, weaving a mesmerizing tapestry of wisdom.

2. hypnotic or hypnotizing; having a trancelike effect similar to hypnosis:

   The song’s simple repetition of the word “Hallelujah” is comforting, mesmerizing, and uplifting.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mesmerizing¹

mesmeriz(e) ( def ) + -ing ²( def )

Example Sentences

Little is explained but much can be guessed about Rogowski’s character, whom the great German actor can’t help but make into a mesmerizing figure of storybook fragility.

From Los Angeles Times

A way to look at emergent behavior — the coordinated and mesmerizing flight of a flock of birds, for instance.

From Los Angeles Times

Malcolm Washington said it was mesmerizing to watch Deadwyler on set during the scene: “She said she doesn’t remember doing it. She was truly somewhere else. She submitted to the work and the task of that day, which was to take her to that place. It’s why you make movies, to have a moment like that with an actor who is working beyond themselves.”

From Los Angeles Times

Jonathan Wells, a 27-year-old former All-American track and field athlete with mesmerizing dimples, says he has been approached about starring in other reality shows, which he declines to name, but they never aligned with his personal values: “Care, heart, bringing meaning into people’s lives,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times

The ensuing spectacle is mesmerizing.

From Los Angeles Times