mesmerizing
Impossible to ignore
Mesmerizing describes something that captures attention so completely you can't look away.
A mesmerizing performance holds the audience spellbound; a mesmerizing pattern draws the eye and won't release it.
The word suggests being transfixed, almost hypnotized: The flames were mesmerizing.
From mesmerize, after Franz Mesmer, an 18th-century practitioner of hypnotism.
Deeply fascinating and gripping
- entrancingDeeply captivating or bewitching
- spellbindingCompletely capturing one's attention
- rivetingCompletely holding one's attention
- grippingHolding attention completely
absorbing · engrossing · transfixing · arresting · compelling · beguiling · magnetic · charismatic
Powerfully attractive, tempting
- tantalizingTeasingly attractive, frustratingly desirable
- temptingArousing desire or interest
- enticingPowerfully attractive
- sultryHot, humid, or alluring
magnetic · irresistible · provocative · intoxicating · bewitching · siren · come-hither · smoldering
Powerfully and mysteriously charming
- charmingPleasantly attractive in manner
- magicalPossessing supernatural power
- etherealDelicate beyond earthly measure
- otherworldlySeemingly not earthly
mystical · fairy-tale · dreamlike · fantastical · wondrous · sublime · divine · heavenly
Semiconscious, unresponsive condition
- trance-likeDeeply absorbed, detached state
- rhythmicHaving regular tempo
- pulsingBeating with rhythm
- repetitiveMarked by recurrence
droning · swirling · spiraling · undulating · oscillating · pendulum · swaying · lulling
Arousing eager interest
- compellingPowerfully engaging or persuasive
- curiousEager to learn
- remarkableWorthy of attention
- astonishingCausing great wonder
amazing · astounding · extraordinary · phenomenal · incredible · mind-bending · thought-provoking · stimulating
Extremely impressive or beautiful
- spectacularStrikingly impressive to behold
- breathtakingAstonishingly beautiful or exciting
- awe-inspiringEvoking reverential wonder
- magnificentExceptionally beautiful or impressive
resplendent · radiant · brilliant · glittering · sparkling · scintillating · blazing · blinding
enthralling
Deeply fascinating and gripping
- entrancingDeeply captivating or bewitching
- spellbindingCompletely capturing one's attention
- rivetingCompletely holding one's attention
gripping · absorbing · engrossing · transfixing · arresting · compelling · beguiling · magnetic · charismatic · irresistible
seductive
Powerfully attractive, tempting
- tantalizingTeasingly attractive, frustratingly desirable
- temptingArousing desire or interest
- enticingPowerfully attractive
sultry · magnetic · irresistible · provocative · intoxicating · bewitching · siren · come-hither · smoldering · ravishing
bewitching
Powerfully and mysteriously charming
- charmingPleasantly attractive in manner
- magicalPossessing supernatural power
- etherealDelicate beyond earthly measure
otherworldly · mystical · fairy-tale · dreamlike · fantastical · wondrous · sublime · divine · heavenly · transcendent
trance
Semiconscious, unresponsive condition
- trance-likeDeeply absorbed, detached state
- rhythmicHaving regular tempo
- pulsingBeating with rhythm
repetitive · droning · swirling · spiraling · undulating · oscillating · pendulum · swaying · lulling · soporific
intriguing
Arousing eager interest
- compellingPowerfully engaging or persuasive
- curiousEager to learn
- remarkableWorthy of attention
astonishing · amazing · astounding · extraordinary · phenomenal · incredible · mind-bending · thought-provoking · stimulating · engrossing
stunning
Extremely impressive or beautiful
- spectacularStrikingly impressive to behold
- breathtakingAstonishingly beautiful or exciting
- awe-inspiringEvoking reverential wonder
magnificent · resplendent · radiant · brilliant · glittering · sparkling · scintillating · blazing · blinding · luminous
- seductionseduction, seductive, allure, beguilement, enticement
- amazingastonishing, astounding, breathtaking, extraordinary, incredible
- captivatingcaptivating, fascinating, compelling, hypnotic, enchanting
- dance qualitiesfluidity, graceful, musicality, rhythmic, grace
- PsychedeliaLSD, acid, psychedelic posters, tie-dye, hallucination
- sirenssirens, siren song, siren call, Lorelei, enchantresses
mesmerizingboring
Failing to engage interest
dull · tedious · uninteresting · monotonous · dreary
mesmerizingforgettable
Unlikely to be recalled
unremarkable · unmemorable · ordinary · nondescript · commonplace
- mesmerizing stareHypnotically compelling eye contact
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