Captivating
/ˈkæptɪveɪtɪŋ/
adjectiveIntermediateCommonGeneral
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
Attracting and holding the attention completely; fascinating.
/ˈkæptɪveɪtɪŋ/
adjectivepositiveIntermediate
General
Attractive and engaging
The captivating scenery took my breath away.
💡 Simply: So interesting it grabs your attention and won't let go.
More Examples
2
Her captivating performance left the audience speechless.
How It's Used
Literary
"The captivating story held the reader spellbound."
Marketing
"The captivating advertisement immediately grabbed attention."
From Middle English *captifien*, from Old French *captiver*, from Latin *captivus* "captive, prisoner". The -ing suffix indicates a present participle, describing something that is in the process of captivating.
The word's usage has remained consistent throughout history, always relating to the idea of holding someone's attention.
Memory tip
Think of 'capturing' someone's attention – captivating keeps it.
Practice
Base: captivate
captivatinglycaptivatin
Usage
30%Spoken
70%Written