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:
He is entirely unrecognizable save for his essential, singular ability to captivate.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
But while the subjects of pleasure and open-mindedness captivate her, on screen Anderson is not letting the industry pigeonhole her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
The auction also features several of Monroe's personal make-up products, including lipsticks, blush and eyeliner pencil, which the auction company noted has continued to captivate people on TikTok hoping to recreate Monroe's look.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
Some 90 objects from the mid-13th to the early 16th century are spread out in three galleries, along with architectural fragments, engravings and other items, but it is the drawings that captivate us.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
She was smart and beautiful, with eyes that could captivate a room, and sweet potato pies that were the best in the county.
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
It’s Wembanyama’s size that captivates most of all.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025
The music still instantly captivates, even if whole swaths of the audience won’t be familiar with the original songs, impudently rewritten for the occasion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 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
Becky Hill has a magnificent stage presence and captivates the crowd.
From BBC ● May 24, 2024
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
Heroes and role models have always captivated us.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
The baseball world was captivated by left-handed pitching prospect Jim Abbott ahead of the 1988 major league draft mostly because he didn’t have a right hand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
Kevin Reddington, who is defending Clancy, had asked the judge to enter a not-guilty verdict, essentially dismissing the case after a weeks-long, televised trial that captivated Americans.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
“One of the things that captivated me about food was that it brings people together.”
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
Generations to come will continue to be captivated by Cleopatra’s charm.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
Well, we have a few good examples: people like Zohran Mamdani, Abdul El-Sayed, AOC, who are really captivating.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
At times, the music overtook the gallery, completely captivating the attention of the room.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
But, after taking silver at three consecutive global championships amid captivating battles with American Athing Mu and Kenya’s Mary Moraa, Hodgkinson finally took the top step of a podium at the Paris Olympics.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
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
Every now and then, except for when a piece of art is captivating him, I catch him watching me, too.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
