INTRIGUE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does intrigue mean? 

• INTRIGUE (noun)
  The noun INTRIGUE has 2 senses:

1. a crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually sinister) ends

2. a clandestine love affair

  Familiarity information: INTRIGUE used as a noun is rare.

• INTRIGUE (verb)
  The verb INTRIGUE has 2 senses:

1. cause to be interested or curious

2. form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner

  Familiarity information: INTRIGUE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INTRIGUE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually sinister) ends

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

intrigue; machination

Hypernyms ("intrigue" is a kind of...):

game; plot; secret plan (a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "intrigue"):

priestcraft (a derogatory reference to priests who use their influence to control secular or political affairs)

Derivation:

intrigue (form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A clandestine love affair

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("intrigue" is a kind of...):

love affair; romance (a relationship between two lovers)

• INTRIGUE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they intrigue    ... he / she / it intrigues   
Past simple: intrigued   
Past participle: intrigued   
-ing form: intriguing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause to be interested or curious

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

fascinate; intrigue

Hypernyms (to "intrigue" is one way to...):

interest; matter to (be of importance or consequence)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "intrigue"):

grab; seize (capture the attention or imagination of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The performance is likely to intrigue Sue

Sense 2

Meaning:

Form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

connive; intrigue; scheme

Hypernyms (to "intrigue" is one way to...):

plot (plan secretly, usually something illegal)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

intrigue (a crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually sinister) ends)

 Context examples 

Another intriguing discovery related to how the tumours evolve.

(The curious tale of the cancer ‘parasite’ that sailed the seas, University of Cambridge)

The farthest-known planet, named GJ 357 d, is especially intriguing.

(Confirmation of Toasty TESS Planet Leads to Surprising Find of Promising World, NASA)

He was declared to be in debt to every tradesman in the place, and his intrigues, all honoured with the title of seduction, had been extended into every tradesman's family.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

An intriguing finding was the association between the use of chemical hair straighteners and breast cancer.

(Permanent hair dye and straighteners may increase breast cancer risk, National Institutes of Health)

The possibility that oral Bacillus might be an effective alternative to antibiotic treatment for some conditions is scientifically intriguing.

(Study finds probiotic Bacillus eliminates Staphylococcus bacteria, National Institutes of Health)

Intrigued, the researchers found that it exists in all vertebrates — including humans.

(New Appetite Control Mechanism Found in Brain, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

After spending more than a month in orbit on the dark side of dwarf planet Ceres, NASA's Dawn spacecraft has captured several views of the sunlit north pole of this intriguing world.

(Dawn Glimpses Ceres' North Pole, NASA)

The new images show scenes from high above Saturn's northern hemisphere, including the planet's intriguing hexagon-shaped jet stream.

(Over Saturn's Turbulent North, NASA)

"The bright spot seen in the MARSIS data is an unusual feature and extremely intriguing," said Jim Green, NASA's chief scientist.

(Possible Subsurface Lake near Martian South Pole, NASA)

Even more intriguing than the large distance of J0045+41 is that it likely contains a pair of giant black holes in close orbit around each other.

(Giant Black Hole Pair Photobombs Andromeda Galaxy, NASA)