Brucker Bears 4-5: mesmerize

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

mesmerize

(v) - If you are mesmerized by someone or something, you cannot stop watching them or listening to them because they are so attractive or have such a powerful effect

Synonyms: hypnotize, captivate, fascinate, spellbind, stupify, enchant
Antonyms: bore, disenchant
Etymology: 1802 French, from mesmérisme meaning "hypnotism." This word was named for Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815), an Austrian physician who developed a theory of animal magnetism and a mysterious body fluid which allows one person to hypnotize another.
Morphology: mesmerism - n, mesmerizing - adj
Example: Staring at falling snow can really mesmerize a person!

1 comment:

AnonymousFebruary 6, 2013 at 11:19 AM
Taylor says,mesmerize is a good word of the day because you can get mesmerized a lot of times just like you are getting mesmerized now because you cant stop reading it.
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I am a big fan of vocabulary! Why should words be dull when they can be dazzling? It is my goal for your kids to learn at least 180 impressive words this year, not just so that they will recognize and understand them, but so that they will use them. When they hear, read or say one of the following words, you should expect to hear a little cheer--go ahead, test them out if you dare!

To the left, you will find the official list of our Words of the Day, complete with definitions, synonyms, etymology (origin), and examples. Clicking on the word will take you to the Longman Dictionary for more information, including pronunciation. In fact, you can click on any bold, colorful word or phrase to take a virtual excursion on the web.

If your child hears one of these words in conversation or on TV, have him log on and share what he heard by adding a "comment" below the word. AND, if you want to see your child flex her vocabulary muscle, have her add a comment and use the word in a great sentence of her own!