Library / English Dictionary

MESMERISE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Induce hypnosis in

Synonyms:

hypnotise; hypnotize; mesmerise; mesmerize

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

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

calm; sedate; tranquilize; tranquillise; tranquillize (cause to be calm or quiet as by administering a sedative to)

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

entrance; spellbind (put into a trance)

Sentence frames:

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

Derivation:

Mesmer (Austrian physician who tried to treat diseases with a form of hypnotism (1734-1815))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Attract strongly, as if with a magnet

Example:

She magnetized the audience with her tricks

Synonyms:

bewitch; magnetise; magnetize; mesmerise; mesmerize; spellbind

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

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

charm; influence; tempt (induce into action by using one's charm)

Sentence frames:

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

Credits