captivate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
captivates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
captivated,
past participle, past
-
captivating
present participle
verb
-
to hold the attention of by fascinating; enchant
-
an obsolete word for capture
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
captivationnoun
-
captivatornoun
-
captivativeadjective
-
uncaptivatedadjective
-
uncaptivativeadjective
-
captivatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
captivatesimple
-
captivatessimple
-
have captivatedperfect
-
has captivatedperfect
-
am captivatingprogressive
-
are captivatingprogressive
-
is captivatingprogressive
-
have been captivatingperfect progressive
-
has been captivatingperfect progressive
Past
-
captivatedsimple
-
had captivatedperfect
-
was captivatingprogressive
-
were captivatingprogressive
-
had been captivatingperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
To captivate means to attract others, fascinating or enchanting them. Some people are able to captivate with wit and charm, others with physical beauty, still others with intelligence. Notice the similarity between the verbs captivate and capture. Both come ultimately from the Latin captus "taken captive." Still, while both words mean some sort of hold on someone, capture sounds harsh, as though a trap has been set, while captivate is a softer, more attractive word that suggests there might be a willingness to be caught. Robert S. McNamara, a former U.S. secretary of defense, said, "Coercion, after all, merely captures man. Freedom captivates him.”
Vocabulary lists containing captivate
The Diary of a Young Girl
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Boy Who Invented TV
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
But while the subjects of pleasure and open-mindedness captivate her, on screen Anderson is not letting the industry pigeonhole her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Beyond Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz's generational rivalry, the ATP Tour struggles to have players challenging for the majors or to cut through and captivate the wider public.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
By the time the Civil War ended, it was baseball that had become the game that would continue to captivate Americans into the 21st century and beyond.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
It may not be for everyone, but dome-based entertainment clearly has the power to captivate some.
From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026
She was smart and beautiful, with eyes that could captivate a room, and sweet potato pies that were the best in the county.
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
The first captivates via a young man’s earnest effusiveness; the second’s effusiveness, tainted by lovelorn glum, deepens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 25, 2025
It’s Wembanyama’s size that captivates most of all.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025
Even when the story lacks, the visual splendor captivates, and Corbet brings intimate and layered performances out of his actors.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2025
Taylor Smart, the museum’s marketing director, said there is still an air of mystery surrounding the O.J. pursuit that captivates people, notably the question of, Why did it even happen?
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 12, 2024
They remain aloof from the modern temptation that captivates many in America’s middle class: the temptation to relieve the anonymity of public life by trying to make it intimate.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
Here’s the thing: Looking back, I do understand the utopian vision that captivated Hong and her fellow partisans.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
When I made the tiny dancer in my music box turn pirouette after pirouette, I was captivated by more than just her pretty miniature tutu.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
"His captivated, always improvised narration made that show the platonic ideal of natural history for me, and introduced a whole generation to the fascination of birds."
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
And as it turns out, it wasn’t the state-of-the-art stadiums or 250th anniversary fireworks—or anything else the U.S. proudly set out to project to the rest of the world—that captivated visitors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
I was so eager, captivated by all the old paintings, staring at them for days until they confessed their secrets to me.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
Alcaraz is tennis’s most captivating theater, a riveting positivity rocket of shot-making and court coverage who never seems to be out of any point.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Well, we have a few good examples: people like Zohran Mamdani, Abdul El-Sayed, AOC, who are really captivating.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
But, after taking silver at three consecutive global championships amid captivating battles with American Athing Mu and Kenya’s Mary Moraa, Hodgkinson finally took the top step of a podium at the Paris Olympics.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Love hurts, but it’s certainly captivating to watch these pairs unravel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
“Content combined with visuals,” she explained, “makes for a captivating site.”
From "Lawn Boy Returns" by Gary Paulsen
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.
