Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To hold under or as if under a spell; enchant or fascinate.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To bind by or as if by a spell; hold under mental control or restraint; fascinate.
Wiktionary
- v. To attract one's attention as if by a magic spell.
GNU Webster's 1913
- v. To bind or hold by, or as if by, a spell or charm; to entrance or fascinate, esp. by eloquence of speech, as in a political campaign.
WordNet 3.0
- v. attract strongly, as if with a magnet
- v. put into a trance
- v. to render motionless, as with a fixed stare or by arousing terror or awe
Etymologies
- Back-formation from spellbound. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Rooster will spellbind you with a story that begins with the casual comment that he met the guy who built Stonehenge and slowly, deliriously has you listening with open-mouthed pleasure at being taken for a ride while he mentions 80 foot tall giants who can't always be trusted and the golden drum they gave him that he can pound on and call for their aid whenever he's in trouble.”
The Huffington Post: Michael Giltz: Theater: Saint Rylance Of "Jerusalem"
“Previous editions of "Hard Knocks" have chronicled teams like the Baltimore Ravens, the Cowboys of Dallas and, of course, the 2007 Kansas City Chiefs, who would go on to spellbind the nation with a 4-12 season.”
The Wall Street Journal: The Year the Jets Tackled Television
“After all, there's no point in creating the collective insanity that is the cult of celebrity worship if you're not going to use the stars to spellbind their adoring public when called upon.”
Printing: The New World Order, Verichip and the Microchip Agenda
“There Heidegger spends two years slowly and painfully learning English, aching for the chance once again to spellbind seminar rooms of worshipfully attentive students.”
“Really, its ability to refresh, rejuvenate, elate, spellbind can not be exaggerated.”
“But he also learned how to spellbind and to charm.”
“She could lift you up and then spellbind you, break your heart.”
“He gave three-hour speeches that held people spellbind.”
“Shortsighted of me, no doubt, but it never occurred to me to spellbind the chimney!”
“I doubt if Marr could spellbind a stray puppy, and we've not heard the last of Syzambry's men.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘spellbind’.
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Evil eye
apotropaic, laughter, garlic, silver bullet, bruxa, amulet, rabbit's foot, crucifix, excantation, witch ball, heart stake, horseshoe and 20 more...
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MissEasyBreezy's list
enthasy, euphoria, fantasy, spellbind, neurotic, ecstatic, radiance, aura, innocence, glitter, glow, aurora and 26 more...
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I am : mystified
As in, 'confused' and 'entranced' both.
mystify, entrance, enrapture, puzzle, ensorcell, confound, mesmerize, confuse, bewitch, captivate, beguile, fascinate and 11 more...
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charms
all sorts of ...fortune, gnome, green, chance, luck, gheluc, success, good, spells, hypnotic, prosperity, blessing and 38 more...
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Magical moments
abracadabra, presto, open sesame, alakazam, incantation, spell, charm, chant, hocus pocus, legerdemain, occult, mystification and 24 more...
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magoosh gre
chums, pernicious, spurious, fleeting, pedestrian, recuse, urbane, indecorous, sophisticated, decry, heartfelt, deterred and 46 more...
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Accurst
Curses and spiritual warfare.
evil eye, diablerie, katadesmoi, voodoo doll, drishti, glamour, geis, shrap, hoodoo, jinx, curse, curse stone and 78 more...
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Word Nerd
galore, nitty gritty, creepy, spooky, faltschnitzel, orkweibchen, shiny, thingy, vendetta, extravaganza, awesome, kolophon and 49 more...
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I Put a Spell on You
charm, hex, incantation, bewitch, trance, jinx, voodoo, curse, enchant, mojo, hypnotic, captivate and 9 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for spellbind.
Telofy The two German words “binden�? (“to bind�?) and “Spelunke�? come to mind (the latter with some effort). It’s a strange dated word for a small very filthy pub or dive, similar to a “Kaschemme�? only that this word is even more obscure in my view (I can’t remember ever having heard it before) and the thing it denotes even more filthy.
And then there is of course “Speläologie�? == “Speleology�?. Oct 31, 2009
jennarenn Looks like English to me. ;) Oct 31, 2009
Telofy Ain’t. Oct 31, 2009
bilby Looks German to me. Oct 31, 2009