Meaning & use
spellbound
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Held completely in attention by something so interesting or beautiful that you cannot look away.
Grammar: Usually follows a verb such as be, sit or watch, or comes before a noun: the audience sat spellbound; a spellbound crowd.
Patterns
- be spellbound by something
- hold someone spellbound
- watch spellbound
The children sat spellbound as the storyteller lowered her voice.
The whole stadium watched spellbound as the final shot was taken.
Spellbound by the view, he forgot to take a photo.
Common combinations
- hold someone spellbound
- The pianist held the room spellbound for an hour.
- watch spellbound
- We watched spellbound as the whale rose beside the boat.
- listen spellbound
- They listened spellbound to the pilot's account of the storm.
- leave someone spellbound
- The magic act left the audience spellbound.
- stand spellbound
- She stood spellbound in front of the huge painting.
- spellbound audience
- A spellbound audience hardly breathed during the final scene.
Synonyms and how they differ
- enthralled
- Enthralled is nearly identical but is a little more formal, while spellbound keeps a hint of magic.
- mesmerized
- Mesmerized suggests a trance-like stare, often caused by movement or rhythm, whereas spellbound can also come from a good story.
- captivated
- Captivated often points to charm or attraction and can be used for a person's feelings, while spellbound stresses being unable to move or look away.
- riveted
- Riveted means your attention is fixed firmly, and it is more about concentration than wonder.
Opposites
Word family
- spell noun
- a magic charm or the state of being under one
- spellbinding adjective
- so fascinating that it holds attention completely
- spellbinder noun
- a speaker or performer who holds an audience entranced
Commonly confused: spellbound or spellbinding?
spellbound vs spellbinding
Spellbinding describes the thing that fascinates, as in a spellbinding story. Spellbound describes the person who is fascinated.
Practice
The concert was truly ___; nobody in the hall moved or coughed during the final song.
Choose one answer.
Spellbinding describes the concert that holds attention. Spellbound describes the people who are held, so it would suit the audience rather than the concert.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “spellbound”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.