Meaning & use

captivate

verb·Academic

To attract and hold someone's attention or interest completely.

See it in a sentence

The storyteller captivated the children with tales of dragons and hidden treasure.

Her performance captivated the entire audience from the very first note.

A note on using this word

Captivate implies a strong, almost irresistible pull on someone's attention, stronger than simply saying something will 'interest' someone.

Words with a similar meaning

enthrallfascinatemesmerize

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

borerepel

Make it your own

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