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
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
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The Invention of Hugo Cabret
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The Boy Who Invented TV
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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.
Jackson, 77, said she had "never doubted" the show's potential or that it would become a hit big enough to captivate audiences half a century later.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
There were TVs all over the place, playing whatever advocates could think of to try to captivate the attention of these kids.
From Slate • Feb. 2, 2026
These films, though less celebrated, underscored her ability to captivate audiences in diverse narratives.
From BBC • Dec. 28, 2025
The two had proved again that they can captivate sports fans.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2025
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
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.
