intrigue
gb/ˈɪntɹiɡ/ us/ˈɪntɹiɡ/
B1
English
~ 7600
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
To arouse curiosity or interest
To make someone very interested and want to know more, often because something is strange or not clear.
Usage pattern:
to intrigue [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners often say *"I am intrigue"* instead of *"I am intrigued"*. Use *"intrigue"* as a verb ("The story intrigues me") and *"intrigued"* as an adjective ("I am intrigued by the story"). Another mistake is confusing this sense with the 'secret plan' meaning; in this sense, no planning or politics is involved, only strong interest.
Synonyms
interest (More general and neutral; does not always suggest mystery or strangeness.)
|
fascinate (Stronger than "intrigue" and often suggests holding attention completely.)
|
captivate (Stresses holding someone's attention in a very strong or charming way.)
Antonyms
bore (Means to make someone feel tired or uninterested, the opposite of creating curiosity.)
|
put off (Suggests causing dislike or lack of interest instead of drawing someone in.)
Collocations
really intrigue [someone]
|deeply intrigue [someone]
|what intrigues me is
|intrigue the audience
|intrigue the reader
|be intrigued by [something]
Themes
emotions
|communication
|art
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The documentary about deep-sea creatures really intrigued me.
- Her calm reaction to the bad news intrigued her coworkers.
- What intrigues scientists most is how quickly the ice is melting.
- The strange symbol on the door intrigued the children and made them stop to look.
- His quiet, thoughtful answers intrigued the interviewer.
Learner examples
- This book about space really intrigues me.
- Her story about life in another country intrigued the class.
- What intrigues me is how he solved the problem so fast.
- The small, locked box on the table intrigued them.
- His different way of thinking intrigues his friends.
Noun
B2
state
2
Fascinating, mysterious quality or feeling
A strong interest you feel when something is strange, secret, or not easy to understand.
Usage pattern:
the intrigue of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this noun sense with the 'secret plan' noun sense. Here, *intrigue* is about the feeling or quality of being interesting and mysterious, not about actual secret planning. If you can replace it with *"fascination"* or *"mystery"* and keep the meaning, this is usually the correct sense.
Synonyms
fascination (Very close in meaning; does not always imply mystery, while "intrigue" usually does.)
|
allure (Adds a feeling of attractiveness or charm, not only curiosity.)
|
mystery (Focuses more on what is unknown; "intrigue" focuses on the curious interest it creates.)
Antonyms
boredom (The state of feeling uninterested, the opposite of being filled with intrigue.)
|
plainness (Suggests something has no special or mysterious quality to attract attention.)
Collocations
sense of intrigue
|air of intrigue
|element of intrigue
|mystery and intrigue
|add intrigue to [something]
|full of intrigue
Themes
emotions
|art
|entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The old hotel had an air of intrigue that attracted film directors.
- The possibility of hidden treasure added intrigue to their trip.
- For many viewers, the main intrigue of the show is never knowing who to trust.
- The quiet streets and closed shutters gave the town a certain intrigue at night.
- Online dating has lost some of its intrigue now that everyone uses it.
Learner examples
- The dark, empty house had a special intrigue for the children.
- The job has more intrigue because you can travel to many countries.
- The mystery movie had a lot of intrigue for the audience.
- The hidden door gave the room extra intrigue.
- Learning a secret language added intrigue to their game.
Noun
C1
entity
3
Secret plan or political plotting
A secret plan, usually wrong or dishonest, to get power or control over someone.
Usage pattern:
political intrigue; [someone]'s intrigues against [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use this sense when they only want to say something is interesting. If there is no secret plan or power struggle, use words like *"interest"*, *"fascination"*, or the other noun sense of *intrigue* ("a feeling of curiosity").
Synonyms
plot (Very close in meaning; often slightly more direct and common in everyday speech.)
|
conspiracy (Stresses illegal or very serious secret planning by a group.)
|
scheme (Can be neutral or negative; in this context, usually negative like "intrigue".)
Antonyms
openness (Highlights acting in a clear and honest way, not hiding plans.)
|
honesty (Stresses moral correctness, in contrast to the underhand nature of intrigue.)
Collocations
political intrigue
|court intrigue
|palace intrigue
|office intrigue
|be caught up in intrigue
|web of intrigue
Themes
politics
|crime
|work
|history
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The drama is filled with palace intrigue and shifting alliances.
- He tried to stay away from the office intrigue that surrounded the promotion.
- The report uncovered years of political intrigue inside the ministry.
- She soon discovered that the company was a center of intrigue and quiet power struggles.
- The novel follows a young diplomat drawn into a web of international intrigue.
Learner examples
- The movie shows a lot of political intrigue in the king’s court.
- He does not like office intrigue and just wants to do his work.
- The story is about intrigue inside a big company.
- They were caught in a web of intrigue at the palace.
- The book is full of spies, secrets, and intrigue.
Verb
literary
C2
action
4
To secretly plot or scheme
To make secret plans, often bad, to hurt someone or to get power.
Usage pattern:
to intrigue against [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may incorrectly extend the common "interest" meaning and think this verb always has a positive idea. In this sense, *intrigue* is negative and about secret plans, similar to *"plot"* or *"scheme"*. It is also quite formal or literary and not common in everyday conversation.
Synonyms
plot (More common and straightforward; often used in both everyday and formal contexts.)
|
scheme (Can sound slightly less formal; sometimes neutral, but often negative in this sense.)
|
conspire (Stresses joint secret planning, especially for something illegal or harmful.)
Antonyms
support (Means to help or stand by someone instead of secretly working against them.)
|
cooperate (Emphasizes working together openly rather than plotting in secret.)
Collocations
intrigue against [someone]
|intrigue at court
|intrigue with [foreign powers]
|intrigue behind the scenes
|intrigue to gain power
|intrigue for control
Themes
politics
|crime
|history
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The ministers intrigued against the king, hoping to take power for themselves.
- For years he had intrigued behind the scenes to control the company.
- Rival nobles intrigued with foreign powers to weaken the empire.
- In the novel, servants and soldiers alike intrigue at court for small advantages.
- She refused to intrigue against her colleagues, even when it could have helped her career.
Learner examples
- The generals intrigued against the leader in secret.
- In the story, many people intrigue at the royal court.
- Some workers intrigued to remove their boss from his job.
- He would not intrigue against his friends to get more power.
- They intrigued with others to take control of the city.
Grammar
Dictionary form
intrigue
IPA
GB/ˈɪntɹiɡ/
US/ˈɪntɹiɡ/
Syllables & stress
in - trigue (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (in)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: intrigue
- Plural: intrigue, intrigues
Verb
- Base: intrigue
- 3rd Person Singular: intrigues
- Present Participle: intriguing
- Past: intrigued
Word family
Forms
Related words
intriguingly
adverb
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.