transfix

[ trans-fiks ]

verb (used with object)

, trans·fixed or trans·fixt, trans·fix·ing.

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.

transfix

/ 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

Derived Forms

• transfixion, noun

Other Words From

• trans·fix·ion [trans-, fik, -sh, uh, n], noun
• untrans·fixed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of transfix¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of transfix¹

C16: from Latin transfīgere to pierce through, from trans- + fīgere to thrust in

Example Sentences

Parisians, most of them children with strangely adult faces, stand transfixed or walk past each other, engaged in what the urban theorist Jane Jacobs called “an intricate sidewalk ballet.”

From New York Times

Mescal has an element of unpredictable wildness, and when it’s allowed to come out it’s transfixing, though he’s largely kept on a leash, save for a few memorable scenes.

From Los Angeles Times

Friday, however, at least gives the world's number-one side the chance to regain the upper hand in a rivalry that has transfixed the rugby world in recent years.

From BBC

Vampires might not the hero you typically root for, but they have transfixed us for centuries.

From BBC

As a young aspiring ballerina, I was transfixed by ribbons.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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