captivating
[ kap-tuh-vey-ting ]
/ ˈkæp təˌveɪ tɪŋ /
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adjective
attracting and holding the attention or interest, as by beauty or excellence; enchanting The newly fallen snow turns our real-life world of brown grass and gray skies into a captivating fairyland.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of captivating
First recorded in 1670–80; captivat(e) + -ing2
OTHER WORDS FROM captivating
cap·ti·vat·ing·ly, adverbun·cap·ti·vat·ing, adjectiveWords nearby captivating
captan, CAPTCHA, caption, captious, captivate, captivating, captive, captive audience, captive market, captivity, captopril
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023