# fascinated

/ˈfæsəˌneɪtəd/ (US) · /fˈæsɪnˌeɪtɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fascinated
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. extremely interested

adjective · CEFR B2

very interested in something and giving it all your attention.

For teachers: intensely interested or attracted by something; often used to describe a state of intellectual or aesthetic captivation.

- I was fascinated by her stories about traveling across Asia alone.
- The young researchers were fascinated by the complex social structures observed in the remote primate colony.

Usage: Commonly followed by the prepositions 'by' or 'with'.

### 2. past tense of fascinate

verb · CEFR B2

the past action of attracting someone's interest very strongly.

For teachers: the past tense and past participle form of the transitive verb 'fascinate', meaning to attract and hold the attention of someone.

- The bright lights of the city fascinated the children during their first visit.
- The intricate clockwork mechanism fascinated the engineers, who spent hours debating its internal logic.

Usage: As a verb, it is transitive and requires a direct object.

## Examples

- I am fascinated by the history of ancient Egypt.
- The children sat in silence, fascinated by the colorful fish swimming in the large aquarium.
- Scholars remain fascinated by the intricate social structures of the Maya civilization, which continue to reveal new complexities through modern archaeological techniques.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.