Mesmerize
/ˈmɛz.mə.raɪz/noun
To captivate or hold someone’s attention completely.
Did you know?The word comes from Franz Mesmer, an 18th-century physician whose theory of “animal magnetism” helped launch the modern idea of hypnosis.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*magh-
“to be able, have power”
Ancient Greek
Greek
mágnēs
“Magnesian; later associated with lodestone and magnetism”
Latin
Latin
magnetis
“magnet, lodestone”
18th Century
English
Mesmer
“Franz Mesmer, the name of the Austrian physician who promoted animal magnetism”
Late 18th Century
English
mesmerize
“to put into a trance-like state through Mesmer’s supposed magnetic influence”
Modern English
English
mesmerize
“to fascinate or hold attention spellbound”
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