Meaning & use
transfixed
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“transfixed” is a form of “transfix”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Unable to move or look away because something is so surprising, beautiful, or frightening.
Grammar: Used after a linking verb such as be, stand, or sit: She stood transfixed.
Patterns
- be transfixed by something
- stand transfixed
- be transfixed with fear
The audience was transfixed by the dancer's performance.
He stood transfixed as the fireworks exploded above the lake.
She was transfixed with horror when she saw the accident.
verbtransitive
Past tense and past participle of transfix: to make someone unable to move or look away.
Grammar: The base form is 'transfix'; 'transfixed' is used for the past and for passive sentences.
Patterns
- something transfixed someone
- be transfixed by something
The strange light transfixed everyone in the room.
Her eyes transfixed him across the crowded room.
Word forms
| base form | transfix |
|---|---|
| third person singular | transfixes |
| past tense | transfixed |
| past participle | transfixed |
| -ing form | transfixing |
Common combinations
- be transfixed by
- The children were transfixed by the magician's tricks.
- stand transfixed
- She stood transfixed at the edge of the cliff.
- sit transfixed
- We sat transfixed through the whole film.
- transfixed with fear
- The deer was transfixed with fear and did not run.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mesmerized
- Very close in meaning, but often suggests a pleasant, almost magical attraction rather than fear.
- spellbound
- Stronger and more literary; it suggests being completely controlled by something wonderful.
- rooted
- Focuses on being unable to move physically; 'transfixed' can also mean unable to look away.
Opposites
Word family
- transfix verb
- To make someone unable to move or look away.
- transfixing adjective
- So interesting or beautiful that you cannot look away.
Commonly confused: transfixed or transfixed?
transfixed vs transfixed
Do not confuse with 'transfixed' and 'transfixed'—they are the same word. A common mistake is spelling it 'transfixed' with an extra 's'.
Practice
The audience was completely ______ by the singer's voice.
Choose one answer.
The passive pattern 'be + past participle + by' needs 'transfixed'. 'Transfixing' is an adjective meaning 'causing this feeling', so 'was transfixing by' is not grammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “transfixed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.