What does "fascinating" mean?

1. (extremely interesting) extremely interesting or attractive, making you want to keep watching or listening.

How do you use "fascinating"?

often used with 'absolutely' or 'utterly' for emphasis.

Is it correct to say "I am very fascinating by this book."?

No — say "I am very fascinated by this book.". Use 'fascinating' to describe the thing that causes interest, and 'fascinated' to describe how you feel.

Word adjective

fascinating

adj.

US /ˈfæsəˌneɪtɪŋ/ UK /fˈæsɪnˌeɪtɪŋ/ fas·ci·nat·ing

Definition

01 B1 Intermediate

extremely interesting or attractive, making you want to keep watching or listening.

extremely interesting, captivating, or charming; used to describe something that commands total attention.

Simple

“The documentary about deep-sea creatures was absolutely fascinating.”

In context

“The historian gave a fascinating account of the city's development, weaving together personal anecdotes and rigorous statistical data.”

Usage

often used with 'absolutely' or 'utterly' for emphasis.

Pitfall

I am very fascinating by this book. I am very fascinated by this book.

Use 'fascinating' to describe the thing that causes interest, and 'fascinated' to describe how you feel.

Synonyms
captivating engrossing intriguing

Antonyms
boring dull uninteresting

This entry

Level B1 · Intermediate

Frequency Common

Updated June 19, 2026