captivateth

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...
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]...
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]...

   Synonyms:

   enchant, enamour

See all 4 meanings of captivate