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Glite Dictionary
spellbinder

spellbinder

1 8.0
A person who holds listeners' attention by being very interesting
  • noun
  • /ˈspɛlˌbaɪndər/
: cautivador
  • During the conference, her presentation was so engaging that she was regarded as a spellbinder by everyone in the room.

Of course, in the Confederate Army, Waddell was a spellbinder on the stump.

Examples

  • The spellbinder places on a high moral plane anyone who succumbs to his influence, and he will shower such people with attention, property, and perks of all kinds.

    Blog text (2)

  • Of course, in the Confederate Army, Waddell was a spellbinder on the stump.

    YaleCourses

  • The man's a by-God spellbinder!

    The Music Man (1962)

  • The Wacs are spellbinders, and our guys gather around them.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • I love spellbinders too.

    Blog text (3)

  • The speaker captivated the audience as a true spellbinder, holding their attention for hours.

  • His ability to weave stories made him a remarkable spellbinder, and people hung on every word he said.

Antonyms

bore
  • Offensive
35 4.2

A person who talks too much about dull topics and makes others feel tired or not interested

How Captivating

spellbinder
1 8.0
orator
  • Formal
17 6.8
presenter
20 2.7
speaker
322 2.1

Surface Forms

spellbinder singular
spellbinders plural

Morphology

spellbinder = spellbind (transparent) = spell + bind + er

Formed from the verb 'spellbind' + agentive '-er'; the meaning 'one who captivates' follows directly from the base verb.

Etymology

Spellbinder comes from spell ('a magic charm') and bind ('to tie' or 'hold'). It pictures a speaker who 'ties' the audience with a magic charm, so a spellbinder is someone who holds the attention of listeners.