intrigue meaning and examples

2025-08-23

Meaning

  • Verb: To arouse someone’s curiosity or interest; to fascinate.
  • Noun: A secret plan or scheme, often involving deception or trickery.

Grammar and Usage

  • Verb (transitive): "to intrigue someone" → to make someone curious or fascinated.

    • Example: "The story intrigued me."

  • Verb (intransitive): less common, used in the sense of plotting or scheming.

  • Noun (countable/uncountable): "an intrigue" → a plot, conspiracy, or complicated secret plan.

Typical structures:

  • Verb: "intrigue sb with sth"
  • Noun: "political intrigue," "court intrigue," "romantic intrigue."

Common Phrases

  • political intrigue
  • court intrigue
  • romantic intrigue
  • full of intrigue
  • intrigue against someone

Collocations

  • Verb + intrigue: deeply intrigue, continue to intrigue
  • Noun + intrigue: web of intrigue, world of intrigue
  • Adjective + intrigue: political intrigue, mysterious intrigue

Examples

  1. The mysterious artifact intrigued the archaeologists.
  2. Her unusual behavior intrigued everyone at the party.
  3. The detective was intrigued by the strange clues.
  4. Political intrigue was common in royal courts.
  5. The film is full of intrigue and suspense.
  6. She was intrigued by his knowledge of ancient history.
  7. A web of intrigue surrounded the corporate scandal.
  8. His secretive actions intrigued his colleagues.
  9. The book’s ending continues to intrigue readers.
  10. The palace was filled with intrigue and betrayal.
  • Verb: fascinate, attract, captivate, engross, absorb.
  • Noun: plot, scheme, conspiracy, deception, trickery.