mesmerizing

Mesmerizing is used to describe someone or something that captures your complete attention. It’s an adjective form of the verb mesmerize, which, in its literal sense, means “to hypnotize” or, more figuratively, “to spellbind” or “to fascinate.”

Synonyms of mesmerizing include forms of these words. Hypnotic, hypnotizing, spellbinding, bewitching, enthralling, and transfixing all suggest a trancelike state or an element of a magic (though often a figurative one). Fascinating, captivating, engrossing, and magnetic all describe someone or something that has captured someone’s attention completely. The word dazzling often means both captivating and impressive.

People or things that are considered mesmerising are those that capture our attention in an almost hypnotic way. Those that are considered the opposite are those that push us away—make us not want to be around them or observe them at all. The words repellent and repulsive both imply this by suggesting a strong negative reaction (like the literal and figurative opposite of magnetic).

Sometimes, though, the opposite of something that’s mesmerizing is something that’s just boring or uninteresting.

Mesmerizing can be used to describe anything that captures your attention—including people and things.

Here are some examples of mesmerizing in a sentence:

• The film is mesmerizing—I found myself completely under its spell from start to finish.
• He is a mesmerizing speaker known for captivating his audiences. 
• There are few things as mesmerizing as a flock of starlings dazzling you with its unpredictable, undulating movements.