captivating
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of captivating
First recorded in 1670–80; captivat(e) ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. )
Explanation
The adjective captivating describes something that's completely enthralling and holds your attention. You might find a marathon of episodes of a TV show so captivating that you forget to eat dinner. When people are captivating, they're often very intelligent, attractive, charming, or otherwise fascinating. Something that catches and holds your interest is captivating, like a captivating mystery novel you just can't put down. In fact, this adjective comes from the Latin captivatus, "to take or capture," and early in its use, captivating had that literal meaning. Now it's only used to mean capturing interest.
Vocabulary lists containing captivating
A Doll's House
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Pay Attention! Synonyms for "Interesting"
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The Tale of Despereaux
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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.
It’s the big band sound that makes you smile and want to get up and dance with captivating lyrics that always leave you wanting more.
From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026
Especially captivating is the chance to watch these artists embrace their materials’ inherent qualities to explore the extremes of formal experimentation.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
She said the feedback only anchored her belief in the story, but also meant the production needed to capitalize on the qualities that make a micro-drama captivating — like regular cliffhangers and melodramatic moments.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
A captivating obituary doesn’t just summarize one’s life.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
Most captivating were the nights, “when the long shadows have all merged into one and the stars begin to gleam out over the lake and the domes of the palaces of the White City.”
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
