Skip to main content
captivated

captivated

3.9
Very interested and pleased so you cannot stop watching or listening
  • adjective
  • /ˈkæptɪˌveɪtɪd/
translation icon : cautivado
  • The audience was captivated by the magician's stunning performance and intricate tricks.

So what, how were you captivated in that way?

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • And it was, Yeah, I was just captivated by her.

  • When we read Crash, are we merely fascinated, captivated by it?

  • But I feel totally captivated by by her.

  • And so I was really captivated by this fear.

  • And I was just captivated by all that stuff, you know, possible worlds.

  • I was absolutely captivated, and that led me to your book briefly, Perfectly human.

  • But we love robots, so we're still captivated by the notion that we could have that device.

  • But then I was immediately captivated by the magnificence of the energy around me.

  • And here is this moment when, just before, Gatsby is captivated by Daisy's voice again.

  • So if they're captivated by it, let's say, then they'll use their resources to distribute the idea.

Synonyms

interested
vscaptivated
1.0

Wanting to learn more about something

is stronger, implying deep fascination or emotional attraction rather than mild interest
enchanted
vscaptivated
48 5.6

Under a magic spell or having a very pleasant, magical feeling

is similar but focuses on strong liking without supernatural suggestion
charmed
vscaptivated
20 4.2

Feeling very pleased and attracted by something, as if under a spell

is close but places slightly more weight on intense fascination
rapt
vscaptivated
  • Formal
11 7.5

Fully focused and very interested in something

is more about being pleasantly won over than purely absorbed
spellbound
vscaptivated
7 5.2

So interested that you cannot stop watching or listening

is similar but is grounded in charm and interest rather than magic
enthralled
vscaptivated
3 6.9

Very interested and full of wonder, unable to look away

is similar but leans more toward simple liking and interest
fascinated
vscaptivated
1 2.1

Very interested and unable to stop paying attention

is nearly the same but slightly more colored by pleasant charm
engrossed
vscaptivated
1 4.5

Paying all your attention to something because you are very interested

is more about being pleasantly fascinated rather than just focused work
entranced
vscaptivated
1 5.8

Amazed and very happy so you cannot look away

is also strong interest but less about immobility and more about liking
hypnotized
vscaptivated
  • US
1 5.3

Your attention is fixed as if under a spell

is similar but usually describes liking without implying a trance
enrapt
vscaptivated
  • Literature
7.8

Feeling great joy and deep interest

is similarly strong but stresses being won over by appeal
enraptured
vscaptivated
  • Literature
7.2

Full of great joy and wonder

is like this but focuses more on being emotionally attracted
mesmerized
vscaptivated
  • US
6.0

Unable to look away because something is very interesting

is close but highlights liking and fascination rather than forceful hold
beguiled
vscaptivated
7.7

You feel charmed and full of wonder

is more general strong interest rather than being tricked or won
transfixed
vscaptivated
6.7

Unable to look away and to move because you feel very surprised or amazed

is intense interest but usually without physical immobility from awe
dazzled
vscaptivated
4.2

Very impressed and unable to speak because something is beautiful or amazing

is strong interest that comes from liking rather than sensory overwhelm
absorbed
vscaptivated
3.6

Giving all your attention to something and not noticing other things

is similar but adds an element of enchantment or strong liking
engaged
vscaptivated
3.4

Giving full attention to an activity or idea

is more about emotional attraction and fascination than mere occupation

Antonyms

unenthused
  • Informal
1 5.3

Not showing excitement or interest

How Captivated

enthralled
3 6.9
mesmerized
  • US
6.0
captivated
3.9
interested
1.0
intriguing
7 2.7
uninterested
20 3.5

Surface Forms

captivated positive

Morphology

captivated = captivate (transparent) = captiv + ate + ed

Forming the past-participle/adjectival 'captivated' by adding the regular suffix '-ed' to 'captivate' preserves the verb's meaning of being charmed.

Etymology

Captivated comes from the Latin capere meaning 'to take' and is the same root as capture. Think of being 'taken' or held like a prisoner by someone's charm or by a beautiful view, and that's why captivated means very interested or fascinated.