First Known Use: 1609
Dictionary
1intrigue
noun in·trigue \ˈin-ˌtrēg, in-ˈ\
: the activity of making secret plans
: a secret plan
Full Definition of INTRIGUE
1
a : a secret scheme : machination b : the practice of engaging in secret schemes
2
: a clandestine love affair
See intrigue defined for English-language learners
ADVERTISEMENT
Examples of INTRIGUE
- Rolston's work channels the vampish intrigue of vintage Hollywood with a sense of irony and wit that makes the work truly modern. —Stephanie Sung, Picture, September/October 2008
- In this, as in any other enterprise where there is the promise of money, intrigues and lies and hoodwinking and bullying abound. —Alice Munro, “Hard-Luck Stories,” in In the Stacks, 2002
- The story began to take on a warm, attractive glow as a Highland romantic epic of heroism and villainy, of intrigue and bravery, complete with comely maidens such as Flora MacDonald and handsome heroes such as Bonnie Prince Charlie himself. —Arthur Herman, How the Scots Invented the Modern World, 2001
- [+]more
Origin of INTRIGUE
French intricate affair, from Italian intrigo, from intrigare to entangle, from Latin intricare (see intricate)
Related to INTRIGUE
- Synonyms
- conspiracy, design, plot, machination, scheme
Synonym Discussion of INTRIGUE
plot, intrigue, machination, conspiracy, cabal mean a plan secretly devised to accomplish an evil or treacherous end. plot implies careful foresight in planning a complex scheme <an assassination plot>. intrigue suggests secret underhanded maneuvering in an atmosphere of duplicity <backstairs intrigue>. machination implies a contriving of annoyances, injuries, or evils by indirect means <the machinations of a party boss>. conspiracy implies a secret agreement among several people usually involving treason or great treachery <a conspiracy to fix prices>. cabal typically applies to political intrigue involving persons of some eminence <a cabal among powerful senators>.
Rhymes with INTRIGUE
2intrigue
verb in·trigue \in-ˈtrēg\
: to make (someone) want to know more about something : to cause (someone) to become interested
: to make secret plans
in·triguedin·trigu·ing
Full Definition of INTRIGUE
transitive verb
2
: to get, make, or accomplish by secret scheming <intrigued myself into the club>
3
obsolete : entangle
4
: to arouse the interest, desire, or curiosity of <intrigued by the tale>
intransitive verb
See intrigue defined for English-language learners
See intrigue defined for kids
Examples of INTRIGUE
- One day during math study period, after I'd finished my regular assignment, I took out a fresh sheet of paper and tried to solve a problem that had intrigued me: whether the first player in a game of ticktacktoe can always win, given the right strategy. —Martin Gardner, Scientific American, August 1998
- Bundy was also a man whose thinking in foreign affairs was extremely conventional… but who in the area of domestic policy was curiously more open-minded and unconventional, so that throughout the Kennedy years, friends would be intrigued by the difference in Bundy. —David Halberstam, Harper's, July 1969
- [+]more
Origin of INTRIGUE
(see 1intrigue)
First Known Use: 1612
INTRIGUE[1] Defined for Kids
1intrigue
verb in·trigue \in-ˈtrēg\
in·triguedin·trigu·ing
Definition of INTRIGUE for Kids
1
: to arouse the interest or curiosity of <The mystery intrigues me.>
2intrigue
noun in·trigue \ˈin-ˌtrēg, in-ˈtrēg\
Definition of INTRIGUE for Kids
: a secret and complex plot
Learn More About INTRIGUE
Browse
Next Word in the Dictionary: intriguingPrevious Word in the Dictionary: intriganteAll Words Near: intrigue
ADVERTISEMENT
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up intrigue? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).