intrigued


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in·trigue

 (ĭn′trēg′, ĭn-trēg′)
n.
1.
a. A secret or underhand scheme; a plot.
b. The practice of or involvement in such schemes: seized the throne by intrigue.
2. A clandestine love affair.
v. (ĭn-trēg′) in·trigued, in·trigu·ing, in·trigues
v.tr.
1. To arouse the interest or curiosity of: Hibernation has long intrigued biologists.
2. To effect or cause to be accepted or rejected by secret scheming or plotting: "Mr. Clay ... was intrigued out of the Presidential nomination" (Parke Godwin).
v.intr.
To engage in secret or underhand schemes; plot.

[From French intriguer, to plot, from Italian intrigare, to plot, from Latin intrīcāre, to entangle; see intricate.]

in·trigu′er n.
Usage Note: The introduction of the verb intrigue to mean "to arouse the interest or curiosity of" was initially resisted by writers on usage as an unneeded French substitute for available English words such as interest, fascinate, or puzzle. Only 52 percent of the Usage Panel accepted this usage in 1968. Twenty years later, in 1988, 78 percent of the Usage Panel accepted it in the sentence The special-quota idea intrigues some legislators, who have asked a Washington think tank to evaluate it. By the 21st century, the use of intrigue as a verb had become completely unremarkable, and it is now firmly entrenched in the English lexicon.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

intrigued

adjective interested, keen, fascinated, curious, excited I would be intrigued to hear others' views.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations

intrigued

[ɪnˈtriːgd] adj (= very interested) → intrigué(e)
to be intrigued to
I would be intrigued to hear more → Je serais curieux d'en savoir plus.
I would be intrigued to hear others' views → Je serais curieux d'entendre ce que les autres ont à dire.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
References in classic literature ?
I was intrigued. I could not tell how they were getting on.
When her older brother Mark discovers Clearview, a group that takes survival as seriously as Bex does, she is intrigued and eager to enter the fray.
I enjoy a good historical story and was intrigued to see what Lucy Worsley, a renowned historian, had written.
"He has them somewhat intrigued. They do say we are critical to their pivot, or their rebalancing, as they expand their interest into south-east Asia.
I must say I'm pretty intrigued by the Happy Days festival in Fermanagh.
Both totally intrigued us with delightful hand-puppet skills via her lost now found little 'dog' - a truly unique way to meet!
If you are intrigued about Kizomba or just want to look better when you get down on the dance floor then get along to Dubai Dance Festival October 17-20