mesmerized
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
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
Other Word Forms
- unmesmerized adjective
Etymology
Origin of mesmerized
First recorded in 1825–35; mesmerize ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; mesmerize ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
Explanation
If you’re mesmerized, you are so fascinated by something, you can’t look away. The mesmerized look in your eyes reveals that watching hockey seems to put you in a trance. Pronounced "mez-mur-ized," the adjective mesmerized describes being held in place by something — not physically — but by extreme interest in what you see or hear. Great movies keep you mesmerized or almost hypnotized with giant images and sounds. Being mesmerized almost feels like you are in a spell, as some people feel when looking at celebrity gossip and photos online.
Vocabulary lists containing mesmerized
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He started sumo wrestling, too, and as a preteen was mesmerized by a YouTube clip he saw of a famous match between sumo legends Takanohana and Asashoryu.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 24, 2026
Onlookers are invited to be mesmerized by the fuchsia flames of Gwi-Ma’s realm as the movie’s hooky synth pop bounces in the foreground.
From Salon • Dec. 18, 2025
The first time Maris watched Queen’s hallowed performance at Live Aid, she was mesmerized.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2025
When you were a kid and you saw images of those artists — I was mesmerized.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 5, 2025
It had been running along the ridge of the fence and she’d been mesmerized by the undulating arc its body and tail had traced as it ran.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
