captivate

verb

cap·ti·vate ˈkap-tə-ˌvāt

captivated; captivating

Synonyms of captivate next

transitive verb

: to influence and dominate by some special charm, art, or trait and with an irresistible appeal

We were captivated by her beauty.

The scenery captivated our attention.

archaic : seize, capture

captivation

ˌkap-tə-ˈvā-shən

noun

captivator

ˈkap-tə-ˌvā-tər

noun

Choose the Right Synonym for captivate

attract, allure, charm, captivate, fascinate, enchant mean to draw another by exerting a powerful influence.

attract applies to any degree or kind of ability to exert influence over another.

students attracted by the school's locale

allure implies an enticing by what is fair, pleasing, or seductive.

an alluring smile

charm implies the power of casting a spell over the person or thing affected and so compelling a response

charmed by their hospitality

, but it may, like captivate, suggest no more than evoking delight or admiration.

her performances captivated audiences

fascinate suggests a magical influence and tends to stress the ineffectiveness of attempts to resist.

a story that continues to fascinate children

enchant is perhaps the strongest of these terms in stressing the appeal of the agent and the degree of delight evoked in the subject.

hopelessly enchanted by her beauty

Examples of captivate in a Sentence

The play has been captivating audiences for years. the clown captivated the toddlers with his balloon tricks

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

But what really captivated me and my mom was the wallpaper. —

Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Jan. 2025 Ever since Taylor Swift appeared at the Sept. 24, 2023, football game at Arrowhead Stadium, fans of the singer-songwriter have been captivated by her romance with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. —

Bryan West, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2025 Kim Kardashian Slid Into His DMs — Here's Why 13 hr 20 min ago Monsters star Cooper Koch got some exciting DMs while captivating viewers with his portrayal of Erik Menendez in the Netflix series. —

Lindsay Kimble, People.com, 6 Jan. 2025 Instead, she is captivated by Oswald, played by Adam Pearson, an actor with neurofibromatosis. —

Esther Zuckerman, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for captivate