intrigue

intrigue
    n 1: a crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually
         sinister) ends [syn: {intrigue}, {machination}]
    2: a clandestine love affair
    v 1: cause to be interested or curious [syn: {intrigue},
         {fascinate}]
    2: form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner [syn: {scheme},
       {intrigue}, {connive}]
    

Intrigue \In*trigue"\, n. [Cf. F. intrique. See {Intrigue}, v.
   i.]
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   1. Intricacy; complication. [Obs.] --Sir M. Hale.
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   2. A complicated plot or scheme intended to effect some
      purpose by secret artifice; conspiracy; stratagem.
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            Busy meddlers with intrigues of state. --Pomfret.
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   3. The plot of a play or romance; a complicated scheme of
      designs, actions, and events. --Pope.
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   4. A secret and illicit love affair between two persons of
      different sexes; an amour; a liaison.
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            The hero of a comedy is represented victorious in
            all his intrigues.                    --Swift.

   Syn: Plot; scheme; conspiracy; machination.
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Intrigue \In*trigue"\ ([i^]n*tr[=e]g"), v. i. [imp. & p. p.
   {Intrigued} (-tr[=e]gd"); p. pr. & vb. n. {Intriguing}.] [F.
   intriguer, OF. intriquer, entriquer; cf. It. intrigare. See
   {Intricate}, {Extricate}.]
   1. To form a plot or scheme; to contrive to accomplish a
      purpose by secret artifice.
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   2. To carry on a secret and illicit love or amour.
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Intrigue \In*trigue"\, v. t.
   To fill with artifice and duplicity; to complicate; to
   embarrass. [Obs.]
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         How doth it [sin] perplex and intrique the whole course
         of your lives!                           --Dr. J.
                                                  Scott.
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178 Moby Thesaurus words for "intrigue":
      Byzantine intrigues, absorb, adulterous affair, adultery, affair,
      amor, amour, angle, appeal, art, artful dodge, artfulness,
      artifice, attract, backstairs influence, becharm, beguile, bewitch,
      blind, brew, cabal, captivate, carry away, cast a spell, charm,
      chicanery, cogitate, collogue, collude, collusion, complicity,
      complot, concoct, confederacy, connections, connivance, connive,
      conspiracy, conspire, contrivance, contrive, contriving, cook up,
      countermine, counterplot, coup, covin, craft, craftiness,
      credibility gap, cuckoldry, cute trick, deals, deceit,
      deceitfulness, deception, deep-laid plot, design, device, devise,
      disingenuousness, dodge, double-dealing, enchant, engineer,
      engineering, enrapture, enravish, entanglement, enthrall, entrance,
      eternal triangle, excite, expedient, fakement, falseheartedness,
      fascinate, feint, fetch, finagle, finagling, finesse, flirtation,
      forbidden love, forswearing, frame, frame up, frame-up, fraud,
      gambit, game, games, gerrymander, gimmick, grift, guile,
      hanky-panky, hatch, hatch a plot, hatch up, hypnotize,
      illicit love, infatuate, infidelity, influence peddling,
      insincerity, interest, intimacy, intrigues, jockey, jugglery,
      knavery, lay a plot, liaison, little game, lobbying, lobbyism,
      love affair, machinate, machination, maneuver, maneuvering,
      manipulate, manipulation, mesmerize, move, operate, perjury, pique,
      play games, plot, plotting, ploy, ploys, practice, pull strings,
      racket, red herring, rig, rigging, romance, romantic tie, ropes,
      ruse, scheme, schemery, schemes, scheming, sharp practice, shift,
      sleight, spell, spellbind, stratagem, strategy, strings,
      subterfuge, tactic, titillate, transport, triangle, trick,
      trickery, uncandidness, uncandor, underplot, unfaithfulness,
      unfrankness, unsincereness, untruthfulness, vamp, wangle,
      web of intrigue, wile, wily device, wire-pulling, wires, witch