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Synonyms

captivate

American  
[kap-tuh-veyt] / ˈkæp təˌveɪt /

verb (used with object)

captivated, captivating

  1. to attract and hold the attention or interest of, as by beauty or excellence; enchant.

    Her blue eyes and red hair captivated him.
    Synonyms:
    charm, bewitch, fascinate

  2. Obsolete. to capture; subjugate.

    Synonyms:
    subdue
captivate British  
/ ˈkæptɪˌveɪt /

verb

  1. to hold the attention of by fascinating; enchant

  2. an obsolete word for capture

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • captivatingly adverb
  • captivation noun
  • captivative adjective
  • captivator noun
  • uncaptivated adjective
  • uncaptivative adjective

Etymology

Origin of captivate

First recorded in 1520–30; from Late Latin captīvātus (past participle of captīvāre “to take captive”), equivalent to Latin captīv(us) captive + -ātus -ate 1

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.