captivate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to hold the attention of by fascinating; enchant
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an obsolete word for capture
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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captivatinglyadverb
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captivationnoun
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uncaptivatedadjective
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captivativeadjective
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captivatornoun
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uncaptivativeadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has captivatedperfect 3rd person singular
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have captivatedperfect
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am captivatingprogressive 1st person singular
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are captivatingprogressive
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captivatessingular 3rd person
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have been captivatingperfect progressive
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has been captivatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is captivatingprogressive 3rd person singular
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captivatingparticiple
Past
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had captivatedperfect
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had been captivatingperfect progressive
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captivatedparticiple
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were captivatingprogressive plural
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was captivatingprogressive singular
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captivatedsimple
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
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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
It may not be for everyone, but dome-based entertainment clearly has the power to captivate some.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 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
The two had proved again that they can captivate sports fans.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2025
Words create rhythmic patterns that captivate a child’s attention.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
