intriguingly

IPA/ɪnˈtriːɡɪŋli/
KK[ˌɪntrˈiɡɪŋli]IPA/ɪnˈtriːɡɪŋli/

intriguingly — adverb

1. in a manner that sparks your curiosity and holds your interest, often because th

1.adverbB2
Definition

in a manner that sparks your curiosity and holds your interest, often because the situation is puzzling, unexpected, or not immediately clear

Example

Intriguingly, the old mansion had a room that no one had entered for decades.

sentence adverb at clause start

The archaeologist found an intriguingly carved stone buried beneath the temple floor.

intriguingly + past participle

Common collocations
  • intriguingly complex
  • intriguingly different
  • intriguingly simple
  • intriguingly mysterious
  • intriguingly beautiful
Synonyms
  • fascinatingly

    stronger emotional pull; suggests you are completely captivated

  • compellingly

    suggests an irresistible urge to learn more, often about an argument or story

  • curiously

    focuses more on oddness or strangeness than on fascination

Antonyms
  • dully

    lacking any element of interest or surprise

  • tediously

    boring because it is too long or repetitive

Grammar Patterns

intriguingly + adjective / past participle

intriguingly + clause (sentence adverb)

Usage Note

Frequently used as a sentence adverb at the beginning of a clause to express the speaker's attitude of fascination. Can also modify adjectives or past participles placed directly before them.

Common Mistakes

The story was intriguingly.
The story was intriguing.
'intriguingly' is an adverb; use the adjective 'intriguing' after a linking verb like 'was'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words describe something that captures attention, but they differ in nuance. Intriguingly emphasises mystery and the desire to solve a puzzle (e.g., 'Intriguingly, the package had no return address.'). Fascinatingly carries a stronger emotional pull, suggesting total captivation rather than a puzzle to solve. Compellingly implies an irresistible argument or narrative that forces you to agree or keep reading. Curiously focuses on oddness or unexpectedness with less emotional involvement. Interestingly is the broadest and most neutral; it signals that the following information may be worth noting without any suggestion of mystery.

fascinatinglycompellingly ↗curiously ↗interestingly ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • intriguingly enough
  • perhaps intriguingly
  • most intriguingly of all

Etymology

LatinItalianFrenchEnglish

Formed in English from the verb 'intrigue', which came from French 'intriguer' (to puzzle, to plot), from Italian 'intrigare' (to entangle, to plot), from Latin 'intricare' (to entangle). The adverbial suffix '-ly' was added to the adjective 'intriguing' to create 'intriguingly', first recorded in the early 19th century.