spellbind

[spel-bahynd]

See more synonyms for spellbind on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), spell·bound, spell·bind·ing.

to hold or bind by or as if by a spell; enchant; entrance; fascinate.

Origin of spellbind

1800–10; spell² + bind, deduced from spellbound

Related formsspell·bind·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for spellbinding

beguile, mesmerize, slay, win, draw, inveigle, allure, kill, wow, vamp, attract, transport, hex, captivate, please, send, tickle, take, cajole, entrance

Examples from the Web for spellbinding

Contemporary Examples of spellbinding

But how long can a show depend on the spellbinding performance of one actress?
Why Should You Watch 'Orphan Black'? Tatiana Maslany.
Sujay Kumar
April 19, 2014
She was, according to skating experts, spellbinding on Thursday night.
Sotnikova Beat Kim Yu-Na? Figure Skating Is Probably Corrupt (But We Knew That)
Kevin Fallon
February 21, 2014
It is flawlessly crafted, intelligently constructed, strongly acted, and spellbinding.
Roger Ebert’s 10 Best Reviews and 10 Best Zingers
Kevin Fallon
April 4, 2013
The Pink Hotel is a spellbinding story about identity and inheritance, and how we know who we are.
This Week’s Hot Reads: April 1, 2013
Mythili Rao, Jimmy So
April 1, 2013
They have never sat in a large lecture hall with a spellbinding orator.
How to Reinvent College Rankings: Show the Data Students Need Most
Steve Cohen
March 24, 2013

Historical Examples of spellbinding

You are staying for the spellbinding fest and entertainment, are you not?
The Major
Ralph Connor

British Dictionary definitions for spellbinding

spellbind

verb -binds, -binding or -bound

(tr) to cause to be spellbound; entrance or enthral

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for spellbinding

spellbind

1808, from spell (n.) + bind. Related: Spellbinding.