ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Captivate

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /ˈkæptɪveɪt/ · Part of speech verb

Quick meaning: Captivate is a verb meaning To make (a person, an animal, etc.) a captive; to take prisoner; to capture, to subdue.

Meaning

To make (a person, an animal, etc.) a captive; to take prisoner; to capture, to subdue.

To capture or control (the mind, etc.); to subdue, to subjugate.
(figuratively) To attract and hold (someone's) attention and interest; to charm, to entrance, to fascinate, to enchain.
(also figuratively, obsolete) Made captive; taken prisoner; captured, subdued.

Hir ſlippers rauyſhed his eyes, hir bewtye captyuated his mynde, with the swerde ſmote ſhe of his neck.

[L]oe thus my ſtrength is tride. / And this I do to captiuate the eye, / Of the faire breeder that is ſtanding by.

Hovv ill-beſeeming is it in thy Sex, / To triumph like an Amazonian Trull, / Vpon their VVoes, vvhom Fortune captiuates?

'Tis a greater credit to know the ways of captivating Nature, and making her subserve our purposes, than to have learned all the intrigues of policy.

Depending on context, synonyms include enchant, enamour, charm, beguile, entrance, bewitch.

Related dictionary entries include fascinate, enchant, becharm, bewitch, charm, enamor.

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