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

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The two greatest players in franchise history have captivated generations in succession while rewriting the record books in Pittsburgh. —

Rob Rossi, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024 Shirin Galili, a parenting educator and former teacher, has captivated 1.9 million viewers on Instagram with her demonstration of how tone of voice and body language can transform communication with children. —

David Faris, Newsweek, 29 Dec. 2024 Fans are captivated by the big birds’ big personalities and humorous relationship dynamic. —

Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2024 Comments For 11 years, the staff of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital captivated TV viewers with a multifaceted view of the Korean War. —

Danny Horn, EW.com, 28 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for captivate