Captivate

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈkæptɪveɪt/

Definitions

1. To attract and hold someone's attention through charm, beauty, or excellence in a way that is difficult to resist
2. To engage someone's interest deeply by means of charm, allure, or exceptional quality that makes them unable to look away
3. To draw in and enthrall an individual by engaging their senses or emotions through appealing attributes or compelling qualities

Etymology: The verb "captivate" began as a literal word for taking prisoners. Its root is Latin "captivus," meaning "captive" or "prisoner," which comes from "capere," "to seize." From that, Late Latin formed "captivare," meaning "to capture," and English later borrowed the past participle form directly as a learned word. The sense of enchanting someone's attention came later, as a figurative extension of the original image. A person who is captivated is held as surely as a prisoner, only by charm, beauty or emotion rather than chains. English took the word straight from Latin rather than through French, so its spelling and shape still reflect its Latin ancestry.

Synonyms: charm, enchant, fascinate, enthrall, bewitch

Antonyms: bore, repel, disenchant, disgust, alienate