intriguing

intriguing — adjective

1. Something that is intriguing makes you want to know more about it because it see

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

Something that is intriguing makes you want to know more about it because it seems unusual, mysterious, or not fully explained.

Example

The old map contained several intriguing symbols that no one could decipher.

collocation: intriguing + symbol / question / possibility / idea

After reading the letter, Caleb felt an intriguing curiosity about his family history.

pattern: feel / sense an intriguing curiosity about [something]

Common collocations
  • intriguing question
  • intriguing possibility
  • intriguing idea
  • intriguing mystery
  • intriguing character
  • intriguing theory
  • intriguing concept
  • intriguing clue
  • intriguing detail
Synonyms
  • fascinating

    broader and more common; suggests strong interest without the specific element of mystery

  • captivating

    emphasises charm or beauty that holds your attention completely

  • engrossing

    describes something that absorbs all your attention, typically a book, film, or story

  • absorbing

    focuses on mental engagement rather than mystery or unusualness

Antonyms
  • boring

    fails to hold any interest at all

  • unremarkable

    lacks the unusual or mysterious quality needed to spark curiosity

Grammar Patterns

intriguing + noun

be / seem / find something + intriguing

Usage Note

Frequently used before nouns (attributive position) to describe things that spark curiosity rather than things that are simply enjoyable. The suggestion of mystery or unusualness is essential — if there is no element of puzzle or hidden depth, consider using 'fascinating' or 'interesting' instead.

Common Mistakes

She told an intriguing joke that made everyone laugh.
She told a funny joke that made everyone laugh.
'Intriguing' implies mystery or hidden depth, not simple amusement.
The hotel room was clean and intriguing.
The hotel room was clean and pleasant.
'Intriguing' does not mean 'nice' or 'satisfactory'; it means the room arouses curiosity for being unusual.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Fascinating, captivating, and engrossing all describe something that holds your attention, but each has a different emphasis. Fascinating is the broadest term and the most frequent; it means extremely interesting, often in a way that is hard to put into words. Captivating suggests a charm or beauty that holds your attention completely — you hear about a captivating smile, a captivating performance, or a captivating melody. Engrossing describes something that absorbs you so fully that you lose awareness of your surroundings; it is most often used for books, films, or tasks. Intriguing adds an element of mystery: the thing arouses your curiosity because it is unusual or not fully explained. An intriguing question makes you want to find the answer, while a fascinating question might simply be very thought-provoking. A captivating story is emotionally absorbing, but an intriguing story makes you wonder what really happened beneath the surface.

fascinating ↗captivatingengrossing

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • deeply intriguing
  • particularly intriguing
  • most intriguing
  • equally intriguing
  • truly intriguing

Phrases

  • find something intriguing
  • seem intriguing
  • sound intriguing
  • look intriguing
  • what I find most intriguing about
  • the most intriguing part of

Etymology

LatinItalianFrenchEnglish

Intriguing comes from the verb 'intrigue', which entered English in the 1600s from French 'intriguer' (to plot or puzzle), tracing back through Italian 'intrigare' (to plot, to entangle) to Latin 'intricare' (to entangle). The original meaning was about scheming and secret plots. Over time the sense softened: something that 'intrigues' you became something that puzzles you in an interesting way, and by the 1800s the adjective 'intriguing' settled into its modern meaning of arousing curiosity through mystery or unusualness.