fascination
gb/fˌæsənˈeɪʃən/ us/fˌæsənˈeɪʃən/
B2
English
~ 7300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
very strong interest or curiosity
A very strong interest in something or someone that makes you want to know or see more.
Usage pattern:
fascination with [something/someone]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "fascination" (a noun) with "fascinate" (a verb). For example, they might say *"I fascination by music"* instead of "I am fascinated by music" or "I have a fascination with music." Another common mistake is using the wrong preposition: natural patterns are "fascination with" or "fascination for" something, not *"fascination about"* in most contexts.
Synonyms
obsession (Stronger and often more negative, suggesting an unhealthy or extreme focus.)
|
captivation (Emphasizes being mentally or emotionally held by something, often a bit more formal or literary.)
|
interest (More general and usually weaker; does not always suggest the same intensity as fascination.)
Antonyms
indifference (Shows a complete lack of interest, the opposite of being strongly drawn to something.)
|
boredom (Suggests lack of interest and engagement where fascination would suggest strong engagement.)
Collocations
fascination with
|lifelong fascination
|personal fascination
|growing fascination
|have a fascination with
|develop a fascination for
Themes
emotions
|psychology
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her fascination with astronomy started when she got her first telescope.
- The writer’s lifelong fascination with cities is clear in all his novels.
- I don’t understand his fascination with old war movies.
- Children often show a natural fascination with animals.
- Over time, his casual curiosity turned into a deep fascination with Japanese history.
Learner examples
- He has a fascination with trains and knows all their names.
- My sister’s fascination with cooking began when she was ten.
- The boy’s fascination with computers grows every year.
- I share your fascination with different cultures.
- Her fascination with art makes her visit many museums.
Noun
B2
entity
2
quality that strongly attracts people
A special quality that makes something very interesting or attractive to people.
Usage pattern:
the fascination of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes mix this meaning with the "personal interest" meaning and say things like *"I am the fascination of history"* when they mean "I have a fascination with history" (sense 1). In this sense, the thing (book, city, sea) is the fascination or holds a fascination for people.
Synonyms
appeal (A broad term for what makes something attractive; may sound a bit less intense or magical than fascination.)
|
allure (Suggests a strong, often elegant or mysterious attraction, especially in literary or slightly formal style.)
|
charm (Highlights a pleasant, often gentle attractiveness; not always as intense as fascination.)
Antonyms
repulsion (Describes a quality that actively pushes people away, the opposite of attracting interest.)
|
dullness (Indicates a lack of interesting or attractive qualities, the opposite of fascination in this sense.)
Collocations
the fascination of
|hold a fascination for
|a source of fascination
|the main fascination
|the lasting fascination of
Themes
emotions
|art
|culture
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The fascination of the city lies in its mix of old streets and modern buildings.
- For many readers, the main fascination of the book is its unusual structure.
- The ocean has always held a fascination for scientists and artists alike.
- The quiet fascination of the desert is hard to describe.
- Despite its dangers, space travel continues to have a powerful fascination for the public.
Learner examples
- The fascination of the movie is its strong characters.
- The sea has a special fascination for many people.
- For tourists, the fascination of this town is its old houses.
- The fascination of the game is that it is simple but hard to win.
- The fascination of the story comes from its surprise ending.
unknown
literary
C1
entity
3
magical or spell-like control
A special power, like magic, that makes a person unable to think or act freely, as if under a spell.
Usage pattern:
under a fascination
Synonyms
spell (A more common word in modern English for magical control, especially in fantasy or fairy tales.)
|
enchantment (Suggests a magical charm affecting someone’s mind or situation, often in literary contexts.)
Antonyms
freedom (Indicates being free from outside control, the opposite of being held by a magical power.)
Collocations
cast a fascination
|under a fascination
|break the fascination
Themes
literature
|fantasy
|religion
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The legend says the witch’s fascination could turn brave men into obedient servants.
- They believed the child was under a dark fascination cast by an enemy.
- Only a stronger magic could break the fascination that held the king.
- In the tale, a mysterious fascination draws travelers into the forest against their will.
Learner examples
- In the story, the hero is under a bad fascination.
- The old woman puts a fascination on the prince.
- A wise man comes to break the fascination.
- They fear the fascination of the evil king.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fascination
IPA
GB/fˌæsənˈeɪʃən/
US/fˌæsənˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
fas - cin - a - tion (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (a)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: fascination
- Plural: fascination, fascinations
Word family
Forms
fascinations
noun
Core family
Related words
fascinatingly
adverb
Expressions
a source of fascination
1/ə sˈɔɹs əv fˌæsənˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
thing that causes fascination
Something that makes many people very interested in it.
Examples
- The human brain is still a source of fascination for scientists.
- For children, dinosaurs are a constant source of fascination.
an object of fascination
1/ən ˈɑbd͡ʒɛkt əv fˌæsənˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
person/thing people are fascinated by
A person or thing that many people are very interested in.
Examples
- The royal family is an object of fascination for the media.
- For decades, Mars has been an object of fascination for astronomers.
have a fascination for
1/hˈæv ə fˌæsənˈeɪʃən fɚ/
fixed phrase
have a strong liking or interest
To really like something and be very interested in it.
Examples
- He has a fascination for classic cars.
- People around the world have a fascination for celebrity lives.
have a fascination with
1/hˈæv ə fˌæsənˈeɪʃən wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
possess a strong interest in something
To be very, very interested in something, often for a long time.
Examples
- She has a fascination with languages and loves learning new ones.
- Many teenagers have a fascination with horror movies.
hold a fascination for
1/hˈoʊld ə fˌæsənˈeɪʃən fɚ/
fixed phrase
strongly attract someone’s interest
If something holds a fascination for you, it is very interesting to you.
Examples
- The sea has always held a fascination for her.
- Ancient ruins hold a fascination for many visitors.
the fascination of
1/ðə fˌæsənˈeɪʃən əv/
fixed phrase
the special attraction of something
The special thing that makes something very interesting or attractive.
Examples
- The fascination of travel is discovering new places.
- The fascination of this game is how simple but deep it is.
morbid fascination
1/mˈɔɹbəd fˌæsənˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
unhealthy attraction to dark subjects
A very strong and strange feeling of being drawn to death, disaster, or other very dark things.
Examples
- He watched the crime documentary with a kind of morbid fascination.
- The public’s morbid fascination with serial killers keeps these shows popular.
- Many people feel a morbid fascination with stories about disasters.
- He feels a morbid fascination with abandoned hospitals and graveyards.
- The documentary explores our morbid fascination with human suffering.