Captivatingly
to attract and hold the attention or interest of, as by beauty or excellence; enchant:
Her blue eyes and red hair captivated him.
Obsolete. to capture; subjugate.
Historical Examples
Not a point in the story is overlooked, and every phase of meaning is captivatingly illustrated in pantomime.
Famous Prima Donnas Lewis Clinton Strang
The present sketch is captivatingly lifelike and thoroughly well-written, arousing a response from every lover of children.
Writings in the United Amateur, 1915-1922 Howard Phillips Lovecraft
She entered the room with an air of triumph, as who should say: “See how captivatingly beautiful I am!”
The Morals of Marcus Ordeyne William J. Locke
The “Stabat Mater” music would be captivatingly beautiful in any setting.
The Standard Oratorios George P. Upton
verb (transitive)
to hold the attention of by fascinating; enchant
an obsolete word for capture
v.
1520s, “to enthrall with charm,” from Late Latin captivatus, past participle of captivare “to take, capture,” from captivus (see captive). Literal sense (1550s) is rare or obsolete in English, which uses capture (q.v.). Latin captare “to take, hold” also had a transferred sense of “to entice, entrap, allure.” Related: Captivated; captivating; captivatingly.
Read Also:
- Captivation
to attract and hold the attention or interest of, as by beauty or excellence; enchant: Her blue eyes and red hair captivated him. Obsolete. to capture; subjugate. Historical Examples The marvel of their captivation lay in the spell of the enchanter. A Day’s Ride Charles James Lever There was a captivation in its promise of […]
- Captivative
to attract and hold the attention or interest of, as by beauty or excellence; enchant: Her blue eyes and red hair captivated him. Obsolete. to capture; subjugate. verb (transitive) to hold the attention of by fascinating; enchant an obsolete word for capture v. 1520s, “to enthrall with charm,” from Late Latin captivatus, past participle of […]
- Captivator
to attract and hold the attention or interest of, as by beauty or excellence; enchant: Her blue eyes and red hair captivated him. Obsolete. to capture; subjugate. Historical Examples She’s a dressmaker by trade, she says; and a captivator of foolish young men by nature—don’t go anigh her. All Sorts and Conditions of Men Walter […]
- Captive
a prisoner. a person who is enslaved or dominated; slave: He is the captive of his own fears. made or held prisoner, especially in war: captive troops. kept in confinement or restraint: captive animals. enslaved by love, beauty, etc.; captivated: her captive beau. of or relating to a captive. managed as an affiliate or subsidiary […]
- Captive audience
Listeners or onlookers who have no choice but to attend. For example, It’s a required course and, knowing he has a captive audience, the professor rambles on endlessly. This expression, first recorded in 1902, uses captive in the sense of “unable to escape.” Contemporary Examples “This is kind of a captive audience,” explained Sgt. Sean […]