transfix

American  

[trans-fiks] / trænsˈfɪks /

verb (used with object)

transfixed, transfixt, transfixing

1. to make or hold motionless with amazement, awe, terror, etc.

   Synonyms:

   enthrall, captivate, engross, spellbind, fascinate

2. to pierce through with or as if with a pointed weapon; impale.

3. to hold or fasten with or on something that pierces.

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transfix British  

/ trænsˈfɪks, trænsˈfɪkʃən /

verb

1. to render motionless, esp with horror or shock

2. to impale or fix with a sharp weapon or other device

3. med to cut through (a limb or other organ), as in amputation

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Other Word Forms

• transfixion noun
• untransfixed adjective

Etymology

Origin of transfix

1580–90; < Latin trānsfīxus (past participle of trānsfīgere to pierce through), equivalent to trāns- trans- + fīg ( ere ) to pierce + -sus, variant of -tus past participle suffix

Explanation

Use the verb transfix when something makes you freeze in fascination or fear. Your belly dancing moves might transfix your dance recital audience. You might describe the way the last minutes of a scary movie transfix your whole family, leaving them on the edge of their seats, or how the photographs in a gallery transfix you with their beauty. The word comes from transfixus, "impaled" in Latin, which in turn is rooted in trans, "through or across," and figere, "to fasten."

Example Sentences

A local punk rock band, a cumbia ensemble, a breakout Spanish-language pop artist or a jazz quartet might transfix the room at any given moment.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 10, 2022

The addition of more rules and formalized elements, some borrowed from figure skating, crowded Olympic ballet skiers into an uncomfortable box, spawning the technically impressive but artistically stunted routines that now transfix online audiences.

From New York Times • Feb. 11, 2022

He studies Beard’s practice with that kind of fascination that shows how a puzzle such as basketball can transfix some human brains forever.

From Washington Post • Nov. 8, 2021

A sign of her charisma is that during the final tableau, as Aida and Radamès are expiring in the tomb, Amneris continues to transfix the attention: even when she isn’t singing, she dominates the stage.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 4, 2018

The changing patterns of light transfix my sight.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

Related Words

• captivate
• enchant
• engross
• fascinate
• hypnotize
• mesmerize
• petrify
• rivet
• stun