How to say "fascinate" in Japanese

• 魅入るみいるCommon
  godan verb, intransitive verbCovers the 'enchanted, spellbound' sense of fascinate: being so entranced by something that it seems to possess you, as when staring fixedly at a performance or scene.
• 迷わすまよわすCommon
  godan verb, transitive verbRarely the word you want for 'fascinate'; its real senses are to puzzle, perplex or delude someone. It appears in the entry only marginally, so use it for bewildering, not charming.
• 奪ううばうJLPT N3approx.Common
  godan verb, transitive verbCovers the 'captivating' sense in the pattern of stealing someone's attention or heart: a striking performance or beauty that completely absorbs a person's attention.
• 引きつけるひきつけるCommon
  ichidan verb, transitive verbCovers the 'attracting' sense of fascinate: drawing people in through charm or appeal, as when a display or personality entices onlookers and holds their interest.
  そのサッカーの試合しあいは大だい観衆かんしゅうを引き付ひきつけた。↗

  The soccer game attracted a large crowd.
• 魅了みりょうCommon
  suru verb, transitive verbThe closest match for the core 'fascinate' sense: to charm or mesmerize someone, as when audiences are captivated by a speaker's charisma or a work of art.
  一目ひとめで彼女かのじょに魅了みりょうされた。↗

  She attracted me at first sight.

Choose 魅了 for emotional captivation, 「引きつける」 for attracting interest, 「奪う」 for attention-grabbing power, 「魅入る」 for being entranced as if spellbound, and avoid 「迷わす」, which really means to bewilder.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 魅入るみいるto fascinate
• 迷わすまよわすto puzzle
• 悩殺のうさつfascinate
• 惹きつけるひきつけるto charm
• 目を奪うめをうばうto dazzle one's eyes
• 魅せるみせるto charm
• 魅するみするto charm
• 奪ううばうto absorb (one's attention)
• 引きつけるひきつけるto charm
• 魅了みりょうto charm
• 見入るみいるto fascinate
• つまむto bewitch