captivate

verb

cap·​ti·​vate ˈkap-tə-ˌvāt 

captivated; captivating

transitive verb

1

: 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.

2

archaic : seize, capture

captivation

ˌkap-tə-ˈvā-shən 

noun

captivator

ˈkap-tə-ˌvā-tər 

noun

Synonyms

• allure
• beguile
• bewitch
• charm
• enchant
• fascinate
• kill
• magnetize
• wile
• witch [archaic]

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

But one thing's for sure: these moms continue to captivate. —Devonne Goode, Parents, 23 May 2025

That’s the reality that captivated nearly four million TikTok viewers, who watched Wendy document her midnight trek across her family’s 500-year-old hacienda — a sprawling estate in rural Zacatecas, Mexico that’s equal parts history, legend and home. —Ashley Vega, People.com, 22 May 2025

Decades-long product developer Ron Robinson (Clinique, Revlon, L’Oreal) captivated Gen Z’s attention, thanks to his cosmetic chemist credit with Hailey Bieber’s Rhode—but ultimately, Gen X beauty is his personal passion. —Dahvi Shira, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025

An 80-degree glare softened the dirt in time for the main event — a captivating lap under cirrus clouds that, even with a relatively light crowd, brought folks in funky hats right up to the railing for an instant classic. —Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

see captive entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1555, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for captivate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

captivate

verb

cap·​ti·​vate ˈkap-tə-ˌvāt 

captivated; captivating

: to influence or fascinate by some special charm

captivation

ˌkap-tə-ˈvā-shən 

noun