captivating
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- captivatingly adverb
- uncaptivating adjective
Etymology
Origin of captivating
First recorded in 1670–80; captivat(e) ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. )
Explanation
The adjective captivating describes something that's completely enthralling and holds your attention. You might find a marathon of episodes of a TV show so captivating that you forget to eat dinner. When people are captivating, they're often very intelligent, attractive, charming, or otherwise fascinating. Something that catches and holds your interest is captivating, like a captivating mystery novel you just can't put down. In fact, this adjective comes from the Latin captivatus, "to take or capture," and early in its use, captivating had that literal meaning. Now it's only used to mean capturing interest.
Vocabulary lists containing captivating
A Doll's House
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Pay Attention! Synonyms for "Interesting"
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The Tale of Despereaux
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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.
In the intervening weeks, he held interviews and wrote letters from his jail cell, denouncing slavery and captivating the country with his dedication and resolve.
From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026
After captivating audiences as Aunt Gladys in the summer horror hit, Madigan is navigating Oscar buzz, press interest and ‘exciting’ conversations about what’s next.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026
At Jeffrey Deitch, Sharif Farrag’s mind-mending ceramic sculptures riff on art history—Bosch and Goya are obvious references—with the maximalist, pop-culture-filled objects walking the line between stomach-churning and captivating.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
As for her captivating paintings, she tells me she's "perfectly happy" when people think they have been created by a much younger artist.
From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026
That doesn’t mean she’s not attractive, though; tía has a captivating face, like all the Montenegro women.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
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.
