spellbind

[ spel-bahynd ]

/ ˈspɛlˌbaɪnd /

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.

Nearby words

spelk, spell, spell checker, spell out, spell-check, spellbind, spellbinder, spellbound, spellchecker, spelldown, speller

Origin of spellbind

1800–10; spell² + bind, deduced from spellbound

Related forms

spell·bind·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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

British Dictionary definitions for spellbinding

spellbind

/ (ˈspɛlˌbaɪnd) /

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