noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
US:/fæsɪˈneɪʃən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:F AE2 S AH0 N EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act of bewitching, or enchanting
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
To my fascination, the skies turned all kinds of colours.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: romance
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Something which fascinates.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
Life after death had always been a great fascination to him.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the capacity to attract intense interest
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he held the children spellbound with magic tricks and other fascinations
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: attraction, attractiveness
5
noun
Meaning 5
a feeling of great liking for something wonderful and unusual
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: captivation, enchantment, enthrallment
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: liking
6
noun
Meaning 6
the state of being intensely interested (as by awe or terror)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: captivation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: enchantment, spell, trance
History
Etymology
From Latin fascinare ("to bewitch"), possibly from Ancient Greek βασκαίνιεν (baskaínien, “to speak ill of; to curse”). Morphologically fascinate + -ion.
Across languages
Translations
41 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
чар
(čar)
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Bulgarian:
очарование
(očarovanie)
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Catalan:
fascinació
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Chinese Mandarin:
魅惑
(mèihuò)
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Czech:
okouzlení
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Czech:
fascinace
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Esperanto:
fascinado
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Finnish:
lumous
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Finnish:
tenho
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
French:
fascination
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Galician:
fascinación
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
German:
Faszination
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Italian:
fascinazione
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Norwegian:
fascinasjon
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Norwegian:
forheksing
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Norwegian:
fortrylling
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Old English:
malsċrung
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Portuguese:
fascinação
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Scottish Gaelic:
beò-ghlacadh
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Spanish:
fascinación
— the act of fascinating, bewitching, or enchanting; enchantment; witchcraft
Bulgarian:
очарованост
(očarovanost)
— the state or condition of being fascinated
Catalan:
fascinació
— the state or condition of being fascinated
Czech:
okouzlení
— the state or condition of being fascinated
Czech:
fascinace
— the state or condition of being fascinated
Dutch:
fascinatie
— the state or condition of being fascinated
Finnish:
hurma
— the state or condition of being fascinated
French:
fascination
— the state or condition of being fascinated
Italian:
fascino
— the state or condition of being fascinated
Norwegian:
fascinert
— the state or condition of being fascinated
Norwegian:
forhekset
— the state or condition of being fascinated
Norwegian:
fortryllet
— the state or condition of being fascinated
Polish:
fascynacja
— the state or condition of being fascinated
Portuguese:
fascinação
— the state or condition of being fascinated
Portuguese:
fascínio
— the state or condition of being fascinated
Scottish Gaelic:
beò-ghlacadh
— the state or condition of being fascinated
Spanish:
fascinación
— the state or condition of being fascinated
Bulgarian:
обаяние
(obajanie)
— that which fascinates; a charm; a spell
Chinese Mandarin:
迷惑力
— that which fascinates; a charm; a spell
Czech:
kouzlo
— that which fascinates; a charm; a spell
Italian:
passione
— that which fascinates; a charm; a spell
Scottish Gaelic:
beò-ghlacadh
— that which fascinates; a charm; a spell
