1
a
: the practice of engaging in secret schemes
b
: a secret scheme : machination
2
: a clandestine love affair
intrigued; intriguing
1
: to arouse the interest, desire, or curiosity of
intrigued by the tale
3
: to get, make, or accomplish by secret scheming
intrigued myself into the club
4
obsolete
: entangle
: to carry on an intrigue (see intrigue entry 1)
intriguer
noun
Synonyms
Examples of intrigue in a Sentence
Noun
Rolston's work channels the vampish intrigue of vintage Hollywood with a sense of irony and wit that makes the work truly modern.
—
Stephanie Sung, Picture, September/October 2008
In this, as in any other enterprise where there is the promise of money, intrigues and lies and hoodwinking and bullying abound.
—Alice Munro, "Hard-Luck Stories,"
in In the Stacks, 2002
The story began to take on a warm, attractive glow as a Highland romantic epic of heroism and villainy, of intrigue and bravery, complete with comely maidens such as Flora MacDonald and handsome heroes such as Bonnie Prince Charlie himself.
—Arthur Herman, How the Scots Invented the Modern World, 2001
a novel of intrigue and romance
an administration characterized by intrigue and corruption
Verb
One day during math study period, after I'd finished my regular assignment, I took out a fresh sheet of paper and tried to solve a problem that had intrigued me: whether the first player in a game of ticktacktoe can always win, given the right strategy.
—Martin Gardner, Scientific American, August 1998
Bundy was also a man whose thinking in foreign affairs was extremely conventional … but who in the area of domestic policy was curiously more open-minded and unconventional, so that throughout the Kennedy years, friends would be intrigued by the difference in Bundy.
—David Halberstam, Harper's, July 1969
evidence that the leading manufacturers had intrigued to keep prices artificially high
the mystery story intrigued me so that I read it in one sitting
Stephanie Sung, Picture, September/October 2008
In this, as in any other enterprise where there is the promise of money, intrigues and lies and hoodwinking and bullying abound.
—Alice Munro, "Hard-Luck Stories,"
in In the Stacks, 2002
The story began to take on a warm, attractive glow as a Highland romantic epic of heroism and villainy, of intrigue and bravery, complete with comely maidens such as Flora MacDonald and handsome heroes such as Bonnie Prince Charlie himself.
—Arthur Herman, How the Scots Invented the Modern World, 2001
a novel of intrigue and romance
an administration characterized by intrigue and corruption
Verb
One day during math study period, after I'd finished my regular assignment, I took out a fresh sheet of paper and tried to solve a problem that had intrigued me: whether the first player in a game of ticktacktoe can always win, given the right strategy.
—Martin Gardner, Scientific American, August 1998
Bundy was also a man whose thinking in foreign affairs was extremely conventional … but who in the area of domestic policy was curiously more open-minded and unconventional, so that throughout the Kennedy years, friends would be intrigued by the difference in Bundy.
—David Halberstam, Harper's, July 1969
evidence that the leading manufacturers had intrigued to keep prices artificially high
the mystery story intrigued me so that I read it in one sitting
Recent Examples on the WebSarah Larson, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2024
Underpinning the intrigue is a love story, or stories, individual and collective.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
In eight addictive episodes, the on-point filmmaker succeeds where others have failed, injecting just the right doses of intrigue and humor into a quietly subversive feminist story.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2024
And there’d be a lot of goings on in different groups and subgroups within the tail light community that were at each other’s throats, and infighting and intrigue.
—Quartz Staff, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024
The addition of new sports in Tokyo’s summer Olympics in 2021, including surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing, only upped the intrigue.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2024
Stoking the intrigue further, a day later the British Army posted — and then hastily deleted — a statement saying that Kate would attend its Trooping the Color ceremony on June 8.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2024
For Curbed, Bridget Read spins a cinematic story of deception and intrigue worthy of a blockbuster movie.
—Longreads, 15 Mar. 2024
There’s plenty of intrigue as to writer-director Anderson’s untitled film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Wood Harris, Alana Haim and Chase Infiniti.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024
Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 4 Apr. 2024
The home was featured on Zillow Gone Wild, a popular social media page that showcases interesting houses up for sale, and fans were intrigued by the interior and the home’s features.
—Tj MacIas, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2024
So, what intrigued Colman to take on this project next, not only as a leading actor but also as one of the film’s producer?
—Jeff Conway, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Folsom’s animal sanctuary intrigued me because of its mission not to breed, sell or trade animals, but instead, enrich their lives.
—Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024
Children this age are intrigued by colors, sounds, and textures.
—Julie Evans, Parents, 22 Mar. 2024
He was intrigued by the private eye character, envisioning the role as a Sydney Greenstreet type with a Panama suit and hat.
—Chris Koseluk, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2024
Study co-author Alexandra Morton-Hayward, now a paleobiologist at the University of Oxford in England, first became intrigued by brains while working as an undertaker.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Mar. 2024
The new observation intrigues astronomers because the molecules detected around the stars could be crucial ingredients for potentially habitable worlds, and those ingredients could be incorporated into the planets that will likely eventually form around the stars.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024
Noun
The show’s seven episodes contain a novel’s worth of character development and intrigue.
—Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2024
Underpinning the intrigue is a love story, or stories, individual and collective.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
In eight addictive episodes, the on-point filmmaker succeeds where others have failed, injecting just the right doses of intrigue and humor into a quietly subversive feminist story.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2024
And there’d be a lot of goings on in different groups and subgroups within the tail light community that were at each other’s throats, and infighting and intrigue.
—Quartz Staff, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024
The addition of new sports in Tokyo’s summer Olympics in 2021, including surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing, only upped the intrigue.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2024
Stoking the intrigue further, a day later the British Army posted — and then hastily deleted — a statement saying that Kate would attend its Trooping the Color ceremony on June 8.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2024
For Curbed, Bridget Read spins a cinematic story of deception and intrigue worthy of a blockbuster movie.
—Longreads, 15 Mar. 2024
There’s plenty of intrigue as to writer-director Anderson’s untitled film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Wood Harris, Alana Haim and Chase Infiniti.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024
Verb
Several agencies, he was told, were intrigued by his work and interested in talking to him.
—Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 4 Apr. 2024
The home was featured on Zillow Gone Wild, a popular social media page that showcases interesting houses up for sale, and fans were intrigued by the interior and the home’s features.
—Tj MacIas, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2024
So, what intrigued Colman to take on this project next, not only as a leading actor but also as one of the film’s producer?
—Jeff Conway, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Folsom’s animal sanctuary intrigued me because of its mission not to breed, sell or trade animals, but instead, enrich their lives.
—Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024
Children this age are intrigued by colors, sounds, and textures.
—Julie Evans, Parents, 22 Mar. 2024
He was intrigued by the private eye character, envisioning the role as a Sydney Greenstreet type with a Panama suit and hat.
—Chris Koseluk, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2024
Study co-author Alexandra Morton-Hayward, now a paleobiologist at the University of Oxford in England, first became intrigued by brains while working as an undertaker.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Mar. 2024
The new observation intrigues astronomers because the molecules detected around the stars could be crucial ingredients for potentially habitable worlds, and those ingredients could be incorporated into the planets that will likely eventually form around the stars.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intrigue.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
French intricate affair, from Italian intrigo, from intrigare to entangle, from Latin intricare — see intricate
First Known Use
Noun
1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1b
Verb
1612, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2
Dictionary Entries Near intrigue
Cite this Entry
“Intrigue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intrigue. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
intrigue
1 of 2 verb
in·trigue
in-ˈtrēg 
intrigued; intriguing
1
: to get or accomplish by secret plotting
intrigued their way into the party
3
: to arouse the interest or curiosity of
intrigued by the tale
intriguer
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on intrigue
Nglish: Translation of intrigue for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of intrigue for Arabic Speakers
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