captivate
- 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
Synonyms for captivate
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comRelated Words for captivation
concentration, attractiveness, allure, appeal, interest, fascination, enthrallment, immersion, hang-up, engagement, involvement, holding, engrossment, occupation, preoccupation, captivation, intentness, bait, draw, endearmentExamples from the Web for captivation
Historical Examples of captivation
The marvel of their captivation lay in the spell of the enchanter.
A Day's RideCharles James Lever
There was a captivation in its promise of adventure that he felt to be irresistible.
Tony ButlerCharles James Lever
He still acknowledged that her beauty was the most complete; but he found in Camilla a variety that was captivation.
CamillaFanny Burney
If all the varied hues of captivation her changing humor wore were but the deep practised lures of coquetry?
The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. I (of II)Charles James Lever
Manner is perhaps more seducing than mere beauty; but where they are allied, the captivation is irresistible.
Rattlin the ReeferEdward Howard
captivate
- to hold the attention of by fascinating; enchant
- an obsolete word for capture
Word Origin for captivate
Word Origin and History for captivation
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.