Synonyms

captivating

American

[kap-tuh-vey-ting] / ˈkæp təˌveɪ tɪŋ /

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.

Other Word Forms

captivatingly adverb
uncaptivating adjective

Etymology

Origin of captivating

First recorded in 1670–80; captivat(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

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.

French actress Brigitte Bardot, who has died aged 91, arguably redefined cinematic allure, captivating the world as a 1950s screen icon.

From BBC

"We're trying to balance that contest between bat and ball throughout, over the four or five days, to provide that captivating Test for all," he said.

From Barron's

“I learned so much about the world in that little space,” she writes, describing “an astonishing, captivating blend of cultures that influences me to this very day.”

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s not always easy to continue to surprise the audience and come up with this stuff that’s just really captivating and fresh and new but I believe that we can,” Thieriot says.

From Los Angeles Times

The M&A saga captivating Hollywood has taken another dramatic twist.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023