captivate

[ kap-tuh-veyt ]
/ ˈkæp təˌveɪt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR captivate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing.

to attract and hold the attention or interest of, as by beauty or excellence; enchant: Her blue eyes and red hair captivated him.
Obsolete. to capture; subjugate.

Origin of captivate

1520–30; < Late Latin captīvātus (past participle of captīvāre to take captive), equivalent to Latin captīv(us) captive + -ātus -ate1

OTHER WORDS FROM captivate

Words nearby captivate

captainship, captan, captcha, caption, captious, captivate, captive, captive audience, captive market, captivity, captopril

Words related to captivation

concentration, attractiveness, allure, appeal, interest, fascination, enthrallment, immersion, hang-up, engagement, involvement, holding, engrossment, occupation, preoccupation, intentness, bait, draw, endearment, tendency

Example sentences from the Web for captivation

British Dictionary definitions for captivation

captivate
/ (ˈkæptɪˌveɪt) /

verb (tr)

to hold the attention of by fascinating; enchant
an obsolete word for capture

Derived forms of captivate

captivatingly, adverb captivation, noun captivator, noun

Word Origin for captivate

C16: from Late Latin captivāre, from captīvus captive