WordWeb Online

1. Capable of arousing and holding the attention
   "a riveting story";
   - absorbing, engrossing, fascinating, gripping

1. Hold attention and exert mental effort on something
   - concentrate, focus, center [US], centre [Brit, Cdn], pore, pore over
    
2. Fasten with a rivet or rivets
    
3. Hold (someone's attention)
   "The discovery of the skull riveted the palaeontologists"

See also: interesting

Type of: absorb, cerebrate, cogitate, engage, engross, fasten, fix, occupy, secure, think

Encyclopedia: Riveting