intrigue

intrigue
intrigue verb.
1. The inflected forms are intrigued, intriguing.
2. The predominant current meaning is ‘to arouse the curiosity of; to fascinate’. When Fowler wrote (1926) this was a fairly new sense (first attested in the 1890s) and the need for what he regarded as an affected Gallicism puzzled him when an apparent wealth of synonyms, including fascinate, mystify, interest, and puzzle, perplex (he could also have mentioned absorb, captivate, enchant, and enthral), was already available. But none of these has quite the same element of the mildly sinister or elusive that intrigue draws from its other meanings, past and present (principally the still current one ‘to carry on an underhand plot’). Like some of the synonyms mentioned, intrigue is commonly used in its participial form intriguing. Examples:

• Even more intriguing than the sociology of fashion is its psychology —Observer, 1974

• We are in turn sympathetic, intrigued, shocked, entertained —but oh the yearning for the world she magically conjured —A. Huth, 1992.


Modern English usage. 2014.

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Synonyms:
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  • intrigue — [ ɛ̃trig ] n. f. • 1578; it. intrigo 1 ♦ Vx Situation compliquée et embarrassante. « nous sommes fort bien sortis d intrigue » (Mme de Sévigné). 2 ♦ Vieilli Liaison amoureuse généralement clandestine et peu durable. ⇒ affaire (de cœur), aventure …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • intrigue — INTRIGUE. s. f. Embroüillement, embarras d affaires causé par de secretes pratiques. Intrigue difficile à demesler, à desbroüiller. former une intrigue. demesler, denoüer une intrigue. conduire, mener une intrigue. c est un homme d intrigue, une… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Intrigue FX — Intrigue is a VFX from Canada, which produces state of the art visual effects for the feature film industry. Founded in the late 1970s, it is one of the oldest VFX Studios in the World. Intrigue is the Visual Effects Division of Intrigue… …   Wikipedia

  • intrigué — intrigué, ée (in tri ghé, ghée) part. passé d intriguer. 1°   Qui est en souci. •   Les dames sont bien intriguées pour leurs ornements, SÉV. 317. •   Ma pauvre mademoiselle Lisette, je suis furieusement intriguée, DANCOURT Bourg. à la mode, III …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • intrigue — [n1] scheme artifice, cabal, chicanery, collusion, complication, conspiracy, contrivance, deal, design, dodge, double dealing*, fix, frame up*, fraud, game, graft, hookup, little game*, machination, maneuver, manipulation, plan, plot, ruse,… …   New thesaurus

  • Intrigue — is a Sámi band from Kárášjohka Karasjok, Norway that sings in North Sami and English. Discography Intrigue # Is This The End # Revolution # Star In The Night # Iešjávre luntat # Angel Heart # Need Your Love # Liar # Voodoo Child # Orbin # Fight… …   Wikipedia

  • Intrigue — In*trigue , n. [Cf. F. intrique. See {Intrigue}, v. i.] [1913 Webster] 1. Intricacy; complication. [Obs.] Sir M. Hale. [1913 Webster] 2. A complicated plot or scheme intended to effect some purpose by secret artifice; conspiracy; stratagem. [1913 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • intrigué — Intrigué, [intrigu]ée. part. On dit, qu Un homme est bien intrigué, pour dire, qu Il est bien embarrassé …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Intrigue — In*trigue ([i^]n*tr[=e]g ), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Intrigued} ( tr[=e]gd ); p. pr. & vb. n. {Intriguing}.] [F. intriguer, OF. intriquer, entriquer; cf. It. intrigare. See {Intricate}, {Extricate}.] 1. To form a plot or scheme; to contrive to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Intrigue — In*trigue , v. t. To fill with artifice and duplicity; to complicate; to embarrass. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] How doth it [sin] perplex and intrique the whole course of your lives! Dr. J. Scott. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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