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
Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, also paid tribute to Harris, saying he had filled the airwaves with "love, laughter and captivating stories".
From BBC • Jun. 4, 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
Plenty of other performers get strong support, including “Seven Kingdoms’ ” 11-year-old Dexter Sol Ansell, who Lorraine Ali says made his show “a captivating watch.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
He moved several yards down the beach and began a new equation, captivating his audience with a lengthy explanation of each new and complex symbol.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
