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verb

captivate

Captivate (verb) means to make (a person, an animal, etc.) a captive; to take prisoner; to capture, to subdue.

verb
1
To make (a person, an animal, etc.) a captive; to take prisoner; to capture, to subdue.
2
To capture or control (the mind, etc.); to subdue, to subjugate.
3
To attract and hold (someone's) attention and interest; to charm, to entrance, to fascinate, to enchain.
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Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin captīvātus, the perfect passive participle of captīvō (“to capture”), from Latin captīvus (“captive, prisoner”) (ultimately from capiō (“to capture, seize”), from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“to hold; to seize”)) + -ō (suffix forming first-conjugation verbs). Equivalent to captive + -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Rhymes for captivate

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Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of captivate?

"captivate" (verb) means to make (a person, an animal, etc.) a captive; to take prisoner; to capture, to subdue.

What are the different meanings of captivate?

"captivate" has 3 main meanings: 1. To make (a person, an animal, etc.) a captive; to take prisoner; to capture, to subdue; 2. To capture or control (the mind, etc.); to subdue, to subjugate; 3. To attract and hold (someone's) attention and interest; to charm, to entrance, to fascinate, to enchain.

Definitions from wiktionary, CC BY-SA · etymology from Wiktionary