spellbound
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of spellbound
Explanation
To be spellbound is to have your attention captured by something, captured so strongly it feels like witchcraft. A spell is a type of magic that controls your mind, and being bound is being tied to something. Being spellbound is when your attention is caught by something, and you just can't look away, almost as if you were bound by a spell. An exciting movie can leave you spellbound. A great public speaker can hold the audience spellbound. When you're spellbound, your attention is on something 100%. Being spellbound is like being fascinated, hypnotized, mesmerized, or transfixed.
Vocabulary lists containing spellbound
The Secret Life of Bees
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Part 4 Vocabulary (Unit 6)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Finally Seen
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
She twists bewitchingly across the stage in a silver jumpsuit, punching out the beats of goth-punk anthems like Spellbound, Happy House and Hong Kong Garden.
From BBC • Jul. 23, 2023
Taste by Spellbound owner Miriam Stephens wrote about the encounter on Instagram, where she claimed the interloper entered her bakery’s garage and helped itself to dozens of pastries being loaded into a delivery van.
From Seattle Times • May 28, 2023
“We call them little soldiers,” Martin Anguiano says of the crystals at Spellbound Sky, the Silver Lake metaphysical shop he founded with Mark Phillips 11 years ago.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2022
Spellbound is an entry-level petite sirah, which I’ve recommended in previous vintages.
From Washington Post • Nov. 18, 2021
Spellbound, she began to stare at the silver river.
From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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.
