intrigue

intrigue — verb

1. to make someone feel very curious or interested, especially because something is

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to make someone feel very curious or interested, especially because something is mysterious, unusual, or not easily explained

Example

Léa was intrigued by the old wooden chest with strange carvings and an unusual lock.

passive: be intrigued by [something]

What intrigued Hugo most was the small piece of fabric found near the broken window.

what-clause as subject of intrigue

Common collocations
  • be intrigued by
  • be intrigued with
  • intriguing mystery
  • intriguing question
  • intriguing possibility
Synonyms
  • fascinate

    stronger and more common; implies deep, lasting attraction rather than just curiosity

  • captivate

    focuses on delight and charm as the source of interest

  • puzzle

    suggests confusion or difficulty understanding, without the positive curiosity that intrigue implies

Antonyms
  • bore

    to make someone lose interest or feel tired

Grammar Patterns

intrigue + object

be intrigued by/with [something]

what + intrigues + object

Usage Note

The verb is pronounced /ɪnˈtriːɡ/ with stress on the second syllable. This sense is most often found in the passive pattern (be intrigued by/with) or with a what-clause as the grammatical subject. The active form (something intrigues someone) is also common but slightly more formal.

Common Mistakes

The story was very intrigue.
The story was very intriguing.
intrigue is a verb; the adjective form is intriguing.
I am intrigue by this idea.
I am intrigued by this idea.
the past participle intrigued is needed after the verb be.

2. to make secret plans together with others, typically in order to gain an advanta

2.verbintransitiveC1
Definition

to make secret plans together with others, typically in order to gain an advantage or cause harm to someone

Example

Several nobles intrigued against the young king, hoping to place his cousin on the throne.

intrigue against [someone]

Lara and her business partner intrigued to force the company's owner into selling his shares.

intrigue + to-infinitive

Common collocations
  • intrigue against
  • intrigue with
Synonyms
  • conspire

    more common in modern English; often implies illegal activity

  • plot

    more general and neutral; can be used for both harmful and harmless secret plans

  • scheme

    emphasises self-interest or dishonesty in the planning

Grammar Patterns

intrigue against [someone]

intrigue with [someone] to [do something]

Usage Note

This sense is older and less common in everyday speech. It is mainly used in historical or political contexts. The target of the scheming is introduced by against. Distinguish from sense AROUSE CURIOSITY, which is transitive and far more frequent.

Common Mistakes

They intrigued a plan to escape.
They intrigued to escape.
in this sense intrigue is intransitive; you cannot intrigue a plan directly.

intrigue — noun

Word family

  • intriguing
    adjectiveB2
  • intrigued
    adjectiveB2
  • intriguingly
    adverbC1
  • intriguer
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Intrigue, fascinate, captivate, and puzzle all describe ways of catching someone's attention, but they differ in how. Intrigue suggests curiosity sparked by something mysterious or not fully understood — you want to find out more. Fascinate is stronger, implying deep and lasting attraction to something remarkable or wonderful. Captivate focuses on delight and charm, as if the person is charmed or spellbound. Puzzle suggests confusion or difficulty understanding rather than positive curiosity. Intrigue is the mildest of the four in intensity but carries the strongest sense of mystery. For example: the old woman's strange story intrigued the children, making them ask questions; the beautiful music captivated the audience, who sat in enchanted silence; the maths problem puzzled the students, who could not figure it out.

fascinate ↗captivatepuzzle ↗intrigue ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • greatly intrigued
  • deeply intrigued
  • particularly intrigued
  • endlessly intriguing

Phrases

  • web of intrigue
  • full of intrigue
  • political intrigue
  • court intrigue
  • tale of intrigue

Prepositions

  • intrigue by
  • intrigue with
  • intrigue against

Etymology

LatinItalianFrenchEnglish

Intrigue entered English in the 17th century from French 'intrigue', which came from Italian 'intrigare' (to plot, to perplex), and ultimately from Latin 'intricare' (to entangle, to perplex). The Latin word combines the prefix 'in-' (in) with 'tricae' (perplexities, trifles), giving the original sense of 'to entangle'. The verb meaning 'to arouse curiosity' developed later, while the noun meaning 'secret scheming' preserves the word's historical connection to plotting. The word is related to 'intricate', which shares the same Latin root.