mesmerize

/ˈmɛzməɹaɪz/

//ˈmɛzməɹaɪz// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"mesmerize" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mesmerize” is uncommon English (frequency #98,439 among 4,057 “M” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#98,439
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To exercise mesmerism on; to affect another person, such as to heal or soothe, through the use of animal magnetism.

Corpus desk

Index EN-mesmerize · mesmerize · English

mesmerize · rank #98,439 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #98,439
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH Messa

Nearest frequency peer: Messa (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “mesmerize”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “mesmerize” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for mesmerize
PropertyValue
Headwordmesmerize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈmɛzməɹaɪz/
Letters9
Frequency rank#98,439
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “mesmerize” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).mesmerizefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Messa” (#98,440), “meninges” (#98,437), “Meudon” (#98,443). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “mesmerize” is #98,439. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

mesmerize is uncommon English at frequency #98,439 among 4,057 “M” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈmɛzməɹaɪz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for mesmerize, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Back-formation from mesmerism, thus mesmerism + -ize; first attested in 1829. The correct English form is mesmerize, spelled M-E-S-M-E-R-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To exercise mesmerism on; to affect another person, such as to heal or soothe, through the use of animal magnetism.
  2. 2
    To spellbind; to enthrall.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how mesmerize appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Mesmer had about a hundred people whom he had instructed as magnetisers, some of whom belonged to the nobility, who also "mesmerised" people by making passes over the affected parts of the body.
  2. She mesmerized the audience with her tricks

Etymology

Back-formation from mesmerism, thus mesmerism + -ize; first attested in 1829.

Synonyms

spellbindhypnotizeenthrallfascinate

This word in other languages

cautivar(Español)faszinieren(Deutsch)hipnotizar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "mesmerize"?
"mesmerize" is spelled M-E-S-M-E-R-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɛzməɹaɪz/.
What does "mesmerize" mean?
As a verb, "mesmerize" means: To exercise mesmerism on; to affect another person, such as to heal or soothe, through the use of animal magnetism.
How do you pronounce "mesmerize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mesmerize" is /ˈmɛzməɹaɪz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "mesmerize"?
Back-formation from mesmerism, thus mesmerism + -ize; first attested in 1829. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "mesmerize", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

microform#98,446manically#98,411Mancunian#98,410Natarajan#98,485

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list