captivate
verb (used with object)
to attract and hold the attention or interest of, as by beauty or excellence; enchant.
was captivating
-
past progressiveof captivate.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
One fan noted in an X comment that, no matter what part he played, his performance was captivating.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2025
Still, the variety of free-roaming animals, unfazed by the few dozen Land Cruisers clattering across the crater, was captivating.
From New York Times ● Apr. 17, 2023
It was captivating, but also curiously detaching to watch this creature behave just like me.
From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2023
He was captivating in the 2019 Hilary Duff-led film "The Haunting of Sharon Tate," a film he seems surprised I have seen.
From Salon ● Dec. 11, 2022
Perhaps he had not humor in the same sense that Roy Blakeley had, but he had an easy, bantering way which was captivating to the scouts.
From Tom Slade's Double Dare by R. Emmett (Robert Emmett) Owen
