mesmerize
verb
Arnold Plotnick
Did you know?
Experts can’t agree on whether Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815) was a quack or a genius, but all concede that the Swabian physician's name is the source of the word mesmerize. In his day, Mesmer was the toast of Paris, where he enjoyed the support of notables including Queen Marie Antoinette. He treated patients with therapeutic procedures (called, appropriately enough, mesmerism) involving what he claimed was a mysterious force termed animal magnetism. (Many believe that mesmerism was what we now call hypnotism). Accordingly, the verb mesmerize was first used to mean "to subject to mesmerism" before broadening to be synonymous with hypnotize, and later to mean "to amaze or captivate."
Synonyms
Examples of mesmerize in a Sentence
Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 25 Nov. 2024
And through her mesmerizing filmmaking, Kapadia creates a world that didn’t seem possible — which, of course, reinforces how imaginary this new place might prove to be.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2024
Designed to bring mesmerizing audio outdoors, the speaker is high-quality engineering, waterproof, dustproof, and shatterproof.
—Sofia Goldstein, SPIN, 6 Nov. 2024
Its beauty lies in its kind people, mesmerizing wildlife, and remote, hidden landscapes.
—Shaun Stanley, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near mesmerize
Cite this Entry
“Mesmerize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mesmerize. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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mesmerize
transitive verb
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