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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captivationnoun
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captivatinglyadverb
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captivatornoun
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uncaptivativeadjective
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uncaptivatedadjective
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captivativeadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have captivatedperfect
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has captivatedperfect 3rd person singular
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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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am captivatingprogressive 1st person singular
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are captivatingprogressive
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captivatingparticiple
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captivatessingular 3rd person
Past
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had captivatedperfect
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were captivatingprogressive plural
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was captivatingprogressive singular
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had been captivatingperfect progressive
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captivatedsimple
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captivatedparticiple
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.
The release says Captivate hosts 14,000 shows and that the platform will directly integrate with Global’s DAX ad exchange.
From The Verge • Dec. 21, 2021
The most recent entry dates back to July 8, 2007: “Voice Power: Using Your Voice to Captivate, Persuade and Communicate.”
From Salon • Apr. 19, 2013
In the spring of 2010, Audience announced an alliance with AT&T that put its processors in a broad range of AT&T phones, including the Samsung Captivate and Focus.
From Forbes • Sep. 2, 2011
Since offering its first Android handset in March, AT&T released HTC's Aria in June and has said it will soon offer Samsung Captivate.
From BusinessWeek • Jun. 23, 2010
The Lord having given a Commission to the Indians to take no less than 13 of the Fishing Ketches of Salem and Captivate the men... it struck a great consternation into all the people here.
From The Old Merchant Marine; A chronicle of American ships and sailors by Paine, Ralph Delahaye
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.
