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.
Marked by its stark staging and ritualistic intensity, the work remains one of the most enduring interpretations of Ravel's best-known work and continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
From Barron's • Feb. 25, 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
For the past six years, Dimon and his top executives have tried to design an office building that will captivate and entice their staff.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025
She strung humorous stories along the road like a bright wash and tried to captivate us.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
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.
