captivate

[kap-tuh-veyt]

See more synonyms for captivate on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing.

to attract and hold the attention or interest of, as by beauty or excellence; enchant: Her blue eyes and red hair captivated him.
Obsolete. to capture; subjugate.

Origin of captivate

1520–30; < Late Latin captīvātus (past participle of captīvāre to take captive), equivalent to Latin captīv(us) captive + -ātus -ate¹

Related formscap·ti·vat·ing·ly, adverbcap·ti·va·tion, nouncap·ti·va·tive, adjectivecap·ti·va·tor, nounun·cap·ti·vat·ed, adjectiveun·cap·ti·vat·ing, adjectiveun·cap·ti·va·tive, adjective

Synonyms for captivate

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1. fascinate, bewitch, charm. 2. subdue.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for captivating

grip, gratify, dazzle, bewitch, fascinate, enthrall, seduce, mesmerize, please, delight, hypnotize, beguile, entertain, charm, enrapture, intrigue, infatuate, entrance, lure, win

Examples from the Web for captivating

Contemporary Examples of captivating

Aside from oil, Russia has two great exports: brilliant, heady novelists and captivating dashboard camera videos.
Russian Dashcam Car Chase
Alex Chancey, The Daily Beast Video
October 9, 2014
But Roitfeld, ever the captivating subject, saves the film from feeling like B-roll.
Carine Roitfeld Documentary ‘Mademoiselle C’ Offers Intimate Look
Isabel Wilkinson
September 11, 2013
Del Rey is captivating with her new dark tresses and crimson-tinted lips, and a full orchestra plays as her backup band.
Lana Del Rey, Skylar Grey & More Best Music Videos of the Week (VIDEO)
Jean Trinh
May 19, 2013
Jean Trinh picks the most captivating ones and pairs them with video evidence.
'The Shining': The Craziest Theories Behind the Film
Jean Trinh
March 28, 2013
It makes for fiery, captivating, and even uncomfortable television, which is pretty great to watch.
Barbara Walters Needs to Hire Brooke Shields for ‘The View’
Kevin Fallon
March 12, 2013

Historical Examples of captivating

What he said was so wise, so well-balanced, and so captivating.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
If he is so grave, I fear I have no chance of captivating him.
The Contrast
Royall Tyler
It was in these quarters of an hour that she succeeded in captivating me, heart and soul.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete
Jacques Casanova de Seingalt
I wear low cut evening gowns, the most captivating I can afford.
Possessed
Cleveland Moffett
Lithe and sinuous as a panther, he rode with a perfect ease that was captivating.
The Highgrader
William MacLeod Raine

British Dictionary definitions for captivating

captivate

verb (tr)

to hold the attention of by fascinating; enchant
an obsolete word for capture

Derived Formscaptivatingly, adverbcaptivation, nouncaptivator, noun

Word Origin for captivate

C16: from Late Latin captivāre, from captīvus captive

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for captivating

captivate

1520s, "to enthrall with charm," from Late Latin captivatus, past participle of captivare "to take, capture," from captivus (see captive). Literal sense (1550s) is rare or obsolete in English, which uses capture (q.v.). Latin captare "to take, hold" also had a transferred sense of "to entice, entrap, allure." Related: Captivated; captivating; captivatingly.