captivated

adjective

cap·​ti·​vat·​ed ˈkap-tə-ˌvā-təd 

: having one's interest or attention held or captured by something or someone charming, beautiful, entertaining, etc.

The captivated audience oohed and aahed as colorful patterns emerged on an overhead screen …

—Jean Hennelly Keith

At dinner, Wayne keeps the conversation smooth, like a captivated courtier seeking Neil's mother's hand.

—David Leavitt

Examples of captivated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In a case that both captivated and horrified the nation, details surrounding the brutality of Kohberger’s crimes quickly spread throughout social media as the Idaho community braced for a headline-grabbing trial, set for the fall of 2025. —Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025

Newspapers seized on the phrase as readers became captivated by the mystery. —Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 28 Dec. 2025

Soon, DiRusso had a devoted, captivated audience built almost entirely online who saw her music as a joyous and off-kilter mirror to their own lives. —Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2025

Read more about The Year in AI—and What's Ahead in the latest Fortune AIQ special report, reflecting on the AI trends that took over the business world and captivated consumers in 2025. —John Kell, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for captivated

• abdicated
• abrogated
• acclimated
• activated
• actuated
• adumbrated
• advocated
• aggravated
• aggregated
• agitated
• allocated
• alternated