captivate

Verb

captivate (third-person singular simple present captivates, present participle captivating, simple past and past participle captivated)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To make (a person, an animal, etc.) a captive; to take prisoner; to capture, to subdue.
   • Hovv ill-beſeeming is it in thy Sex, / To triumph like an Amazonian Trull, / Vpon their VVoes, vvhom Fortune captiuates?c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard...
   • Dabuh is the name of a ſimple and baſe creature like a VVolfe, ſaue that his legges and feete are like to a mans: ſo fooliſh, that vvith a ſong, & a Taber, they vvhich knovv his haunt vvill bring him out of his denne, and captiue his eares vvith their muſicke, vvhile another captiuateth his legges...1613, Samuel Purchas, “[Relations of the Regions and Religions in Africa.] Of Africa, and the Creatures therein.”, in Purchas His Pilgrimage. Or Relations of the World and the Religions Observed in...
2. (figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To capture or control (the mind, etc.); to subdue, to subjugate.
   • Hee hath no skill in Rhetoricke, nor can hee vvith a preface fore-ſtall and captivate the Gentle Readers good vvill: nor careth he greatly to knovve it.1603, Michel de Montaigne, “Of the Institution and Education of Children; to the Ladie Diana of Foix, Countesse of Gurson”, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine]...
   • They that are vviſe, had rather haue their iudgements at libertie in differences of readings, then to be captiuated to one, vvhen it may be the other.1611, [Miles Smith], “The Translators to the Reader”, in The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC
3. (figuratively, transitive) To attract and hold (someone's) attention and interest; to charm, to entrance, to fascinate, to enchain.
   • Hir ſlippers rauyſhed his eyes, hir bewtye captyuated his mynde, with the swerde ſmote ſhe of his neck.1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Judith xvj:[9]...
   • [L]oe thus my ſtrength is tride. / And this I do to captiuate the eye, / Of the faire breeder that is ſtanding by.1594, [William Shakespeare], Venus and Adonis, 2nd edition, London: […] Richard Field, […], →OCLC, [verse 47], signature Cij, verso, lines [280–282]

   Synonyms:

   enchant, enamour

Adjective

UK/ˈkæptɪvət/US/ˈkæptəˌvət/

captivate (comparative more captivate, superlative most captivate)

1. (also, figuratively, obsolete, transitive) Made captive; taken prisoner; captured, subdued.
   • Tuſh, vvomen haue bene captiuate ere novv.1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
   • VVhat is Gods houſe in Caſtle pent, but like that Arke of bliſſe / In Balaims temple Captivate? Ech place a priſon is.1610, William Camden, “Wilshire”, in Philémon Holland, transl., Britain, or A Chorographicall Description of the Most Flourishing Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, […], London: […] [Eliot’s...