spellbound

American  

[spel-bound] / ˈspɛlˌbaʊnd /

adjective

1. bound by or as if by a spell; enchanted, entranced, or fascinated.

   a spellbound audience.

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spellbound British  

/ ˈspɛlˌbaʊnd /

adjective

1. having one's attention held as though one is bound by a spell

   a spellbound audience

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Etymology

Origin of spellbound

First recorded in 1790–1800; spell ² + -bound ¹

Example Sentences

Wicked: For Good has received broadly positive reviews from critics - but many are far less spellbound than they were by the first film.

From BBC

The spellbound astronauts pinned themselves to the windows, the first humans to see the far side of our nearest celestial neighbour.

From BBC

“The Gentleman From Peru” takes place in a hotel where a group of friends are spellbound by a stranger’s tale of thwarted romance.

From Los Angeles Times

Within a couple of minutes, it snakes all the way back to the entrance, populated by doting parents and spellbound preteens hoping they arrived in time.

From New York Times

But Las Vegas seems spellbound by the Super Bowl, which is making its first appearance in a place that the N.F.L., not so long ago, avoided to the point of parody.

From New York Times

Related Words

• amazed
• bemused
• breathless
• captivated
• enthralled
• rapt