captivate

[kap-tuh-veyt]

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verb (used with object), cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing.

to attract and hold the attention or interest of, as by beauty or excellence; enchant: Her blue eyes and red hair captivated him.

Obsolete. to capture; subjugate.

Origin of captivate

1520–30; < Late Latin captīvātus (past participle of captīvāre to take captive), equivalent to Latin captīv(us) captive + -ātus -ate¹

Related formscap·ti·vat·ing·ly, adverbcap·ti·va·tion, nouncap·ti·va·tive, adjectivecap·ti·va·tor, nounun·cap·ti·vat·ed, adjectiveun·cap·ti·vat·ing, adjectiveun·cap·ti·va·tive, adjective

Synonyms for captivate

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR captivate ON THESAURUS.COM

1. fascinate, bewitch, charm. 2. subdue.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for captivate

grip, gratify, dazzle, bewitch, fascinate, enthrall, seduce, mesmerize, please, delight, hypnotize, beguile, entertain, charm, enrapture, intrigue, infatuate, entrance, lure, win

Examples from the Web for captivate

Historical Examples of captivate

It was, indeed, just the spot to captivate a youthful and susceptible fancy.
Night and Morning, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
She seemed born, not only to captivate the giddy, but to turn the heads of the sage.
Alice, or The Mysteries, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
The effort to captivate where there is no stake to win, means mischief.
Lord Kilgobbin
Charles Lever
I captivate—just as I fish, hunt, sketch, or shoot—to amuse myself.
Barrington
Charles James Lever
And his mind was devilishly clever enough to captivate my fancy.
Possessed
Cleveland Moffett

British Dictionary definitions for captivate

captivate

verb (tr)

to hold the attention of by fascinating; enchant

an obsolete word for capture

Derived Formscaptivatingly, adverbcaptivation, nouncaptivator, noun

Word Origin for captivate

C16: from Late Latin captivāre, from captīvus captive

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for captivate

1520s, "to enthrall with charm," from Late Latin captivatus, past participle of captivare "to take, capture," from captivus (see captive). Literal sense (1550s) is rare or obsolete in English, which uses capture (q.v.). Latin captare "to take, hold" also had a transferred sense of "to entice, entrap, allure." Related: Captivated; captivating; captivatingly.