Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To attract and hold the interest of, as by beauty or wit. synonym: charm.
  • transitive verb Archaic To capture.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Taken captive; made prisoner; fascinated; insnared.
  • To seize by force, as an enemy in war, or anything belonging to an enemy; capture; take captive.
  • To bring into bondage; subdue; place in subjection.
  • To overpower and hold by excellence or beauty; charm or lure by any means; engage the regard, esteem, or affections of; fascinate.
  • =Syn 3. To enslave, enchant, lead captive, enamour, bewitch.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb obsolete To take prisoner; to capture; to subdue.
  • transitive verb To acquire ascendancy over by reason of some art or attraction; to fascinate; to charm.
  • adjective Taken prisoner; made captive; insnared; charmed.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To attract and hold interest and attention of; charm.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb attract; cause to be enamored

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Late Latin captivāre, captivāt-, to capture, from Latin captīvus, prisoner; see captive.]

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Examples

  • We tossed to the fish humbugs of wool, silk, and feathers, gauds such as captivate the greedy or the guileless.

    The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 10, No. 62, December, 1862 Various

  • Another apparently had the word "captivate" confused with something else, but darned if I can figure out what: "Furthermore, many families found that having [a popular fictional television family] captivated as a cartoon was inappropriate because it wold target the viewers of children."

    CHE > Latest news 2010

  • If you have some time to kill, I promise you that the game will captivate you even today.

    Modern pirates call for classic games 2009

  • SAN'A — Hundreds of protesters marched in each of Yemen's two biggest cities, the capital San'a and the port city of Aden, demonstrating in solidarity with the Egyptian uprising, which continues to captivate the Arab world and put pressure on other autocratic regimes in region.

    Anti-Mubarak Protests Flare in Yemen Hakim Almasmari 2011

  • "TV formats such as Britain's Got Talent, Midsomer Murders and Spooks continue to captivate and inspire new audiences, demonstrating the global reach and appeal of the UK TV industry."

    Export of British television shows overseas rises by 9% Mark Sweney 2010

  • Gourmet has been sliding on its ability to captivate its audience ever since the January Cupcake Cover. 2 months after that issue, they actually posted a recipe on how to roast a chicken.

    Goodbye, 'Gourmet' magazine | EW.com 2009

  • “Consummate storyteller Jeffries pens another title in the School for Heiresses series that is destined to captivate readers with its sensuality and wonderfully enchanting plot.”

    How to Woo a Reluctant Lady Deborah Gonzales 2011

  • OMG, my dear Gringal, how could I have left out the superlatives which captivate the imagination, turn the palette and brighten the eyes with a pinch of excellence.

    Page 2 2009

  • Treasure Hunt: one of several vintage gameshows to captivate the attention of Enter4entertainment staff.

    Digital economy or bust: the story of a new media startup – part 23 2011

  • Prior research has linked the popularity of the extrovert to their desire to captivate the attention of others, their expressive behaviors, verbal humor and fashionable dress.

    Who Is Popular at First Sight? 2011

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