# fascinate

Pronunciation: US say "FAS-i-nayt" /ˈfæsɪneɪt/; UK

## Verb

1. To awaken intense interest or a strong sense of attraction in someone.
   - Simple: To make someone very interested in something or strongly drawn to it.
   - _Ancient burial sites fascinate archaeologists across the world._
   - _Her stories about deep-sea creatures fascinated everyone at the table._
2. To hold someone motionless and transfixed, as though held by a spell.
   - Simple: To hold someone still and silent, as if under a spell.
   - _Some snakes appear to fascinate their prey, freezing it in place._
   - _Old folk tales claimed that a rattlesnake could fascinate a rabbit, holding it frozen until the snake struck._

## Origin

It was borrowed from Latin fascinātus, the past participle of fascinō ("to enchant, bewitch, fascinate"), which comes from fascinum (a phallus-shaped amulet worn in Ancient Rome, also meaning "witchcraft"); the ultimate origin is obscure.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/fascinate (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).