captivate
Americanverb
-
to hold the attention of by fascinating; enchant
-
an obsolete word for capture
Other Word Forms
- captivatingly adverb
- captivation noun
- captivative adjective
- captivator noun
- uncaptivated adjective
- uncaptivative adjective
Etymology
Origin of captivate
First recorded in 1520–30; from Late Latin captīvātus (past participle of captīvāre “to take captive”), equivalent to Latin captīv(us) captive + -ātus -ate 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Pima County Sheriff has become the face of the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, a mystery that has captivated the nation.
The kidnapping drama has captivated the nation, but there have been relatively few leads.
From Los Angeles Times
It tells the story of the chart race that was the climax of an at-times acrimonious beef between Britpop's biggest beasts, which split fans and captivated the media.
From BBC
The kidnapping drama has captivated the nation but until now there have been relatively few leads.
From Los Angeles Times
Meanwhile, the story lines on the ice and snow have captivated people around the world, whether they’re following along on their phones or flipping through the pink pages of La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
