passionnant

Passionnant is a French adjective meaning something that arouses strong interest or emotion; it is commonly translated as fascinating, captivating, or exciting. It describes people, events, works, or subjects that hold attention or move the reader, viewer, or listener.

Etymology and form: passionnant is derived from the verb passionner (to stir passion, to fascinate) from the noun passion, which itself comes from Latin passio. As a true adjective, it agrees with the noun in gender and number: passionnant (masc. sing.), passionnante (fem. sing.), passionnants (masc. plur.), passionnantes (fem. plur.).

Usage: passionnant is widely used in both spoken and written French. It can modify a noun directly or appear predicatively after être. Examples: Ce livre est passionnant. (This book is fascinating.) Un sujet passionnant. (A fascinating subject.) Cette conférence était passionnante. (That lecture was fascinating.) The term carries a positive, sometimes emphatic nuance and can be used sincerely or, less commonly, ironically.

Comparison and related terms: synonyms include captivant, fascisant, and intéressant, though each carries its own shade of meaning. Antonyms include ennuyeux (boring) and banal (banal). The related verb passionner means to captivate or move deeply, and the noun passion denotes intense emotion or enthusiasm.

See also: passion (noun), passionné (passionate), captivant, fasciner, intéressant.