intriguing

1 of 2

adjective

in·​trigu·​ing in-ˈtrē-giŋ 

: engaging the interest to a marked degree : fascinating entry 1

an intriguing story

intriguing

2 of 2

present participle of intrigue entry 2

Synonyms of intriguing

Adjective

• interesting
• fascinating
• engaging

Examples of intriguing in a Sentence

Adjective

The Huns are intriguing not only because of their notoriously hawkish history, but also because of their place as middlemen between Mongol and Turkic ethnicity. —Victor L. Mote, Siberia, 1998

The next two phases of the Cambrian … mark the strangest, most important, and most intriguing of all episodes in the fossil record of animals—the short interval known as the Cambrian explosion … —Stephen Jay Gould, Natural History, July/August 1998

The folklorist Jan Brunvand has documented hundreds of "urban legends," intriguing stories that everyone swears happened to a friend of a friend … and that circulate for years in nearly identical form in city after city, but that can never be documented as real events. —Steven Pinker, The Language Instinct, 1994

The offer is very intriguing.

an intriguing concept that should engender much debate among climatologists

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

There’s a proper mystery to solve each episode, and a really intriguing serialized arc as well. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Week 5 brings plenty of intriguing fantasy matchups, but also some tough spots for players who have been inconsistent to start the season. — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026

There’s something intriguing about this particular combo of pieces in her outfit. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026

Among the most intriguing possibilities, Brouhard said, is that Gulf nations exporting oil are surreptitiously paying Iran fees in exchange for safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz – even as they’re secured by US military escorts. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see intrigue entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1752, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for intriguing

• fatiguing