fascination
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the feeling of being extremely interested in something so that it holds all your attention.
the state of being intensely attracted or intrigued by something. Uncountable in this abstract sense.
Simple“His fascination with old cars started when he was a young boy.”
In context“Her lifelong fascination with marine biology eventually led her to conduct groundbreaking research on deep-sea coral reefs.”
UsageOften followed by the preposition 'with'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
the act of using magic to control or charm someone.
the act of bewitching or enchanting through supernatural means. This sense is largely restricted to historical or literary contexts.
Simple“In the old story, the witch used her fascination to lead the travelers into the woods.”
In context“The ancient text describes the fascination of the serpent, suggesting a hypnotic power over its prey.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is rare in modern English; learners will mostly encounter it in 19th-century literature or fantasy settings.
Synonyms
“Shakur's murder is a cold case that has gripped the public's fascination for 30 years.”
“And they still hold a fascination for scientists keen to learn more about their unusual structure.”
From Latin fascinare ("to bewitch"), possibly from Ancient Greek βασκαίνιεν (baskaínien, “to speak ill of; to curse”). Morphologically fascinate + -ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.