mesmerize

verb

mes·​mer·​ize ˈmez-mə-ˌrīz How to pronounce mesmerize (audio)
 also  ˈmes-
mesmerized; mesmerizing

transitive verb

1
: to subject to mesmerism
also : hypnotize
2
: spellbind
I found myself mesmerized by the grandiosity of it allArnold Plotnick
The crowd was mesmerized by the acrobats.
mesmerizer noun

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."

Examples of mesmerize in a Sentence

discovered that the children were mesmerized by a television show
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Becker’s premise is bracing: Tech oligarchs’ wildest visions of tomorrow amount to a modern secular theology that is both mesmerizing and, in his view, deeply misguided. John Kaag, The Atlantic, 28 May 2025 As the living embodiment of that rage, the mesmerizing Izadyar comes to resemble a furious, wide-eyed wraith—an almost mythical agent of retribution. Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 May 2025 Norman Powell has scored at least 20 in three of his last four, and his third-quarter heat-check on Thursday was mesmerizing. Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 3 May 2025 At night, the festival transforms into a mesmerizing light show, as balloons illuminate in perfect sync with music. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for mesmerize

Word History

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mesmerize was in 1829

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Cite this Entry

“Mesmerize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mesmerize. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

mesmerize

verb
mes·​mer·​ize ˈmez-mə-ˌrīz How to pronounce mesmerize (audio)
also
ˈmes- How to pronounce mesmerize (audio)
mesmerized; mesmerizing

Medical Definition

mesmerize

transitive verb
mes·​mer·​ize
variants or British mesmerise
mesmerized or British mesmerised; mesmerizing or British mesmerising
: to subject to mesmerism
also : hypnotize
mesmerization noun
or British mesmerisation

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