mesmerize

[ mez-muh-rahyz, mes- ]
See synonyms for: mesmerizemesmerizedmesmerizing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),mes·mer·ized, mes·mer·iz·ing.
  1. to completely capture the attention of; spellbind; fascinate: This young pianist has mesmerized audiences with her incredible technique and range of musical expression.

  2. to hypnotize or put into a trancelike state; cause (someone) to be open to the power of suggestion or unable to act on their own: According to ancient myth, the song of the sea nymphs mesmerized sailors, drawing them into disastrous waters.

  1. to cause or compel through fascination or by hypnotizing: Advertising can easily mesmerize us into thinking that wealth is the same as money and possessions.In this game scene, the warriors do not know they’ve been mesmerized into the service of the enemy.

Origin of mesmerize

1
First recorded in 1820–30; back formation from mesmerism
  • Also especially British, mes·mer·ise .

Other words from mesmerize

  • mes·mer·i·za·tion [mez-muh-rahy-zey-shuhn, mes-], /ˌmɛz məˌraɪˈzeɪ ʃən, ˌmɛs-/, noun
  • mes·mer·iz·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use mesmerize in a sentence

  • Gentlemen seem to mesmerise houses—cow them with an eye, and up they come, trembling.

    Howards End | E. M. Forster
  • The light in his blue eyes seemed to mesmerise men, to draw them, willing or unwilling, to him.

    With the Boer Forces | Howard C. Hillegas
  • Candidates, save your money; mesmerise your opponents instead of bribing them, and you may become a patriot by a show of hands.

  • I have had people try to mesmerise me a dozen times, and never with the least result.

    In the South Seas | Robert Louis Stevenson
  • She said he really did mesmerise her, and that she could see in her sleep.

    The Notting Hill Mystery | Charles Felix

British Dictionary definitions for mesmerize

mesmerize

mesmerise

/ (ˈmɛzməˌraɪz) /


verb(tr)
  1. a former word for hypnotize

  2. to hold (someone) as if spellbound

Derived forms of mesmerize

  • mesmerization or mesmerisation, noun
  • mesmerizer or mesmeriser, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012