CAPTIVATE Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'captivate' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of captivate are allure , attract , charm , enchant , and fascinate . While all these words mean "to draw another by exerting a powerful influence," charm implies the power of casting a spell over the person or thing affected and so compelling a response, but it may, like captivate , suggest no more than evoking delight or admiration. // charmed by their hospitality // her performances captivated audiences

Q: When can 'allure' be used instead of 'captivate'?

In some situations, the words allure and captivate are roughly equivalent. However, allure implies an enticing by what is fair, pleasing, or seductive. // an alluring smile

Q: When could 'attract' be used to replace 'captivate'?

The meanings of attract and captivate largely overlap; however, attract applies to any degree or kind of ability to exert influence over another. // students attracted by the school's locale

Q: When would 'enchant' be a good substitute for 'captivate'?

While in some cases nearly identical to captivate , enchant is perhaps the strongest of these terms in stressing the appeal of the agent and the degree of delight evoked in the subject. // hopelessly enchanted by her beauty

Q: When might 'fascinate' be a better fit than 'captivate'?

While the synonyms fascinate and captivate are close in meaning, fascinate suggests a magical influence and tends to stress the ineffectiveness of attempts to resist. // a story that continues to fascinate children

captivate

verb

ˈkap-tə-ˌvāt

Definition of captivate next

as in to fascinate

to attract or delight as if by magic the clown captivated the toddlers with his balloon tricks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How is the word captivate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of captivate are allure, attract, charm, enchant, and fascinate. While all these words mean "to draw another by exerting a powerful influence," charm implies the power of casting a spell over the person or thing affected and so compelling a response, but it may, like captivate, suggest no more than evoking delight or admiration.

charmed by their hospitality

her performances captivated audiences

When can allure be used instead of captivate?

In some situations, the words allure and captivate are roughly equivalent. However, allure implies an enticing by what is fair, pleasing, or seductive.

an alluring smile

When could attract be used to replace captivate?

The meanings of attract and captivate largely overlap; however, attract applies to any degree or kind of ability to exert influence over another.

students attracted by the school's locale

When would enchant be a good substitute for captivate?

While in some cases nearly identical to captivate, enchant is perhaps the strongest of these terms in stressing the appeal of the agent and the degree of delight evoked in the subject.

hopelessly enchanted by her beauty

When might fascinate be a better fit than captivate?

While the synonyms fascinate and captivate are close in meaning, fascinate suggests a magical influence and tends to stress the ineffectiveness of attempts to resist.

a story that continues to fascinate children

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of captivate Transforming facts and data into compelling narratives enables leaders to captivate and motivate their teams. 7. —

William Arruda, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025 Still, the $152 million sweepstakes is captivating the game because whoever signs Alonso is going to land one of the best sluggers in the game. —

Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025 He’s mastered the art of going viral, captivating fans with his jaw-dropping plays and fearless creativity. —

Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2025 Their tumultuous relationship captivated fans and inspired hit songs. —

Brittney Melton, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for captivate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivate

Verb

Fishing for Microbes For years, Irene Salinas has been fascinated by a simple physiological fact: The distance between the nose and the brain is quite small.

— Yasemin Saplakoglu, WIRED, 5 Jan. 2025
Rosenberg, who had been fascinated by Zygielbojm’s story for years, agreed.

— Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025