captivate

Definitions

From captivus ('captive') + -ate: literally 'to make captive.' To captivate someone is to take their attention prisoner — they can't look away. The same capt- 'seize' as in capture and captive, here turned into a charming, willing kind of capture.

Why It Means This

Captivate and capture come from the very same idea of taking someone prisoner; captivate just spiritualizes it. A captivating performance 'takes you captive' so completely you forget the time. That's why the noun for a held prisoner (captive) and the verb for being charmed (captivate) are siblings.

Common Collocations

• 1.captivate the audience迷住观众
• 2.completely captivated完全着迷
• 3.captivate attention吸引注意力

Example Sentences

• 1.

  Her singing captivated the entire audience within seconds.

• 2.

  The children were captivated by the magician's tricks.