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intrigue

noun · verb

Simple meaning

A complicated or clandestine plot or scheme intended to effect some purpose by secret artifice.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

ihntreeg

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ɪntˈɹiɡ

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. A complicated or clandestine plot or scheme intended to effect some purpose by secret artifice; conspiracy; stratagem.

  2. The plot of a play, poem or romance; the series of complications in which a writer involves their imaginary characters.

  3. Clandestine intercourse between persons; illicit intimacy; a liaison or affair.

verb

  1. transitive

    To arouse the interest of; to fascinate.

  2. intransitive

    To conceive or carry out a secret plan intended to harm; to form a plot or scheme.

  3. intransitive

    To have clandestine or illicit intercourse.

  4. transitive

    To fill with artifice and duplicity; to complicate.

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: A complicated or clandestine plot or scheme intended to effect some purpose by secret artifice; conspiracy; stratagem.

Used this way, intrigue is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Confusing or complicated
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Nearby words

  • machination , rarer, so it draws attention

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

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More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: complicated or clandestine plot

schememachinationRare

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.