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
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.
“It’s not always easy to continue to surprise the audience and come up with this stuff that’s just really captivating and fresh and new but I believe that we can,” Thieriot says.
From Los Angeles Times
The charming drama has captivated audiences and critics alike since its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and was recently named one of the National Board of Review’s top films of the year.
From Los Angeles Times
The M&A saga captivating Hollywood has taken another dramatic twist.
DeJean and Milord are the most captivating performers in the ensemble.
From Los Angeles Times
The audience becomes captivated and the chatter stops.
From BBC
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.
