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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Intrigue: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：arouse curiosity (intrigue)

intrigue 🔊

/ɪnˈtriːɡ/

v., n.

to make someone very curious and interested, wanting to know more.

Intrigue meaning illustrated: person captivated by a mysterious movie trailer.

arouse curiosity 🔊

➕

/əˈraʊz ˌkjʊəriˈɒsəti/

v., n.

To make someone feel very interested and eager to learn more about something.

📁 Category：Entertainment & Sports 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'intricare', meaning 'to entangle' or 'to perplex'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'in-trigue' as being 'in' a 'trick' or puzzle, which sparks curiosity or secret plans.

📖 Example

The trailer for the new sci-fi movie with its mysterious alien artifact intrigued me so much that I immediately booked tickets. 🔊 The sci-fi movie trailer featuring a mysterious alien artifact made me so curious that I booked tickets immediately.

🔗 Collocations

intrigue someone – to make someone curious or interested

be intrigued by – to be made curious by something

a sense of intrigue – a feeling of curiosity or mystery

🔄 Synonyms

fascinate (v.) – to attract and hold interest strongly

captivate (v.) – to attract and hold attention by being interesting or beautiful

pique (v.) – to stimulate interest or curiosity

🚫 Antonyms

bore (v.) – to make someone feel uninterested or weary

disinterest (v.) – to cause a lack of interest

🌱 Derivatives

intriguing (adj.) – arousing curiosity or interest

intriguer (n.) – a person who intrigues or plots

📖 Cultural Story

Originates from Latin 'intricare' (to entangle), adopted into French as 'intriguer'. In 17th-century European courts, 'intrigue' described secret political plots, later extending to mean arousing curiosity in literature and drama.

Meaning 2：plot secretly (intrigue)

intrigue 🔊

/ɪnˈtriːɡ/

v., n.

to make secret plans to harm someone or achieve something, often in a dishonest way.

Intrigue definition: historical figures plotting secretly in a dimly lit room.

plot secretly 🔊

➕

/plɒt ˈsiːkrətli/

v., n.

To engage in secret schemes or plots, often to harm others or gain power dishonestly.

📁 Category：Countries & Government 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

In the historical drama, the power-hungry ministers intrigued against the young emperor behind closed doors. 🔊 In the historical drama, ministers secretly plotted against the young emperor in private meetings.

🔗 Collocations

intrigue against – to form secret plans against someone

political intrigue – secret scheming in politics

court intrigue – secret plots within a royal court

🔄 Synonyms

conspire (v.) – to plan secretly with others to do something illegal or harmful

plot (v.) – to make a secret plan to achieve a usually harmful goal

scheme (v.) – to make secret and dishonest plans

🚫 Antonyms

cooperate (v.) – to work together openly for a common purpose

disclose (v.) – to make information known openly

🌱 Derivatives

intriguer (n.) – a person involved in secret plots