Synonyms: Interesting

If something affects you — makes an impact, evokes an emotional response, or changes you in some way — that's an affecting piece of work.

You use a lure to catch fish, so something alluring is enticing or tempting: it makes you want to investigate it further.

We all know the word arrest in the legal sense. But when you understand that it comes from the French arrêter, meaning "to stop," then you can use it to describe a work of art or anything else that stops you in your tracks, demanding your attention.

Like arrest above, if something captures your attention, figuratively holding you captive, that's a captivating book, movie, or event.

To compel someone is to force them, so a compelling speech or novel inspires you to take action.

A thrall was a servant or a slave. So, like captivate, an enthralling book or movie holds you prisoner — figuratively —until the story ends.

Incisive literally means "cutting" — your sharp front teeth are called incisors — so, like trenchant below, it's a descriptor for precise and persuasive language that cuts to the heart of the matter.

From the Latin intricare, where we get intricate, intrigue refers to something mysterious and complex.

Rivets hold sheets of metal together, so a riveting story is one that keeps you fastened to your seat, unable to move.

Trancher is French for "to cut" — a slice of cake is une tranche — and that's where we get trench from. So a trenchant argument or piece of writing is sharp, cutting through unimportant things: clear, precise, and effective.