captivate
Americanverb (used with object)
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captivates,
present (3rd person singular)
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captivated,
past participle, past
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captivating
present participle
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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captivatornoun
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captivativeadjective
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uncaptivatedadjective
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uncaptivativeadjective
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captivatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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captivatesimple
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captivatessimple
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have captivatedperfect
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has captivatedperfect
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am captivatingprogressive
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are captivatingprogressive
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is captivatingprogressive
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have been captivatingperfect progressive
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has been captivatingperfect progressive
Past
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captivatedsimple
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had captivatedperfect
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was captivatingprogressive
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were captivatingprogressive
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had been captivatingperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
To investigate, BBC Sport asked fans how the game can keep existing followers engaged, captivate new supporters and inspire the next generation.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
To learn how to captivate an online audience, Bergstrom studied MrBeast-style creators on YouTube and TikTok.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
Plot is the least of it in “Moby Dick,” in which the oddities of the way of the world captivate.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026
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
The ache and the beauty of Billie’s words captivate me, despite the ugly images they bring to mind.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
The fifth instalment of the animated franchise sees Woody, Buzz and Jessie threatened by a new frog-like tablet known as Lilypad, which captivates the film's children.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
One of the first big names to sign with Unwell was Earle, who, according to Cooper at the time, has a unique presence that captivates audiences.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2026
With interlocking rhythms and remarkable improvisations, the EP captivates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2025
Even when the story lacks, the visual splendor captivates, and Corbet brings intimate and layered performances out of his actors.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2025
They remain aloof from the modern temptation that captivates many in America’s middle class: the temptation to relieve the anonymity of public life by trying to make it intimate.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
Here’s the thing: Looking back, I do understand the utopian vision that captivated Hong and her fellow partisans.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
"There's no better place to create a destination that celebrates the magic, creativity and storytelling that has captivated generations of fans around the world," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
When I made the tiny dancer in my music box turn pirouette after pirouette, I was captivated by more than just her pretty miniature tutu.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
And as it turns out, it wasn’t the state-of-the-art stadiums or 250th anniversary fireworks—or anything else the U.S. proudly set out to project to the rest of the world—that captivated visitors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
When she looks into my eyes, I can tell she's just as captivated by me as I am by her.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
A quietly captivating Willem Dafoe plays Ed Saxberger, a New York post office veteran of 37 years in a seemingly satisfying if decidedly low-key existence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The production value is high, storytelling is captivating and hordes of fellow inmates get involved as actors and crew.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
The most captivating sidebar introduces Nellie Williams, the young upstate New Yorker whose disabled father won a printing press in a poker game.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
BBC Sport looks at how important each player is to his team before what promises to be a captivating World Cup contest.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
But publishers found the account less than captivating.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
