What does arrestingly mean?
Arrestingly is an adverb meaning “in a way that strikingly attracts attention.” It is especially common when describing a person, place, image, performance, or piece of writing that is unusually beautiful, vivid, elegant, or otherwise memorable. Writers may also use it for similarities and contrasts that catch the eye, as in “The two portraits are arrestingly alike,” and occasionally for qualities that are unexpectedly striking, including negative ones. The word combines arrest, meaning to stop or hold someone’s attention, with the adverb-forming suffix -ingly. Its literary tone makes it more deliberate than a simple intensifier such as “very”: “an arrestingly beautiful garden” suggests that the beauty commands immediate notice, not merely that the garden is pleasant. Because its core idea involves visual or figurative impact, arrestingly is most natural in descriptive writing, criticism, journalism, and literary discussion. In casual conversation it can sound polished, emphatic, or occasionally overdramatic, but it remains standard modern English in both British and American usage.
adverbIn a way that strikingly attracts attention, especially because of unusual beauty, vividness, or significance.
- In a striking or attention-commanding manner.
"The empty theatre was arrestingly silent at dawn."
"The empty theatre was arrestingly silent at dawn."
"She remained arrestingly calm under questioning."
Sometimes beauty does not merely catch the eye—it arrests it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of arrestingly
Arrestingly was formed in English by combining arrest with the suffix -ingly, which creates an adverb meaning “in the manner of.” Arrest itself comes through Anglo-French from Latin adrestare, formed from ad- and restare, with roots meaning “to” and “to remain or stay.” The same underlying base appears in related forms such as arrestable, arrestee, and arrester.
How arrestingly is actually used
Arrestingly has a literary, descriptive tone and is often used in criticism, journalism, and formal discussion. It may be genuinely complimentary or ironic, and it can sound overly dramatic in casual conversation.
Easily confused with arrestingly
“Arrestingly” is an adverb describing the striking manner of something, while “arresting” is usually an adjective or participle describing something that attracts attention or halts a person.