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."

Related Words

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