mesmerize

[ mez-muh-rahyz, mes- ]

verb (used with object)

, mes·mer·ized, mes·mer·iz·ing.

1. to completely capture the attention of; spellbind; fascinate:

   This young pianist has mesmerized audiences with her incredible technique and range of musical expression.

2. to hypnotize or put into a trancelike state; cause (someone) to be open to the power of suggestion or unable to act on their own:

   According to ancient myth, the song of the sea nymphs mesmerized sailors, drawing them into disastrous waters.

3. to cause or compel through fascination or by hypnotizing:

   Advertising can easily mesmerize us into thinking that wealth is the same as money and possessions.

   In this game scene, the warriors do not know they’ve been mesmerized into the service of the enemy.

mesmerize

/ ˈmɛzməˌraɪz /

verb

1. a former word for hypnotize
2. to hold (someone) as if spellbound

Derived Forms

• ˈmesmerˌizer, noun
• ˌmesmeriˈzation, noun

Other Words From

• mes·mer·i·za·tion [mez-m, uh, -rahy-, zey, -sh, uh, n, mes-], noun
• mes·mer·iz·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mesmerize¹

First recorded in 1820–30; back formation from mesmerism

Example Sentences

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

From Los Angeles Times

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

The music was really unusual and, honestly, kind of mesmerizing.

From Los Angeles Times

He pulled up another picture of a gallery in Italy filled with one of his mesmerizing living paintings.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• enthrall
• fascinate
• hypnotize
• stupefy