as in appealing
having an often mysterious or magical power to attract
a captivating performance by the young singing sensation
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fascinating
to attract or delight as if by magic
the clown captivated the toddlers with his balloon tricks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of captivating
Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025
That prior nod now tees them up for Grammy voters, as do their genre-bending sophomore album, Submarine, captivating frontwoman (María Zardoya) and star-making set at Coachella 2025.
—Lori Majewski, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 9 Oct. 2025
Head over to the Nat Geo section to find some of the smartest educational programming out there, including this captivating 2023 miniseries about the true story of Miep Gies (a fantastic Bel Powley), a Dutch woman who helped protect Jews during the Holocaust.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivating
Adjective
The first Netflix-Marvel show was arguably the best, a three-season adaptation of one of Marveldom’s most captivating character, the blind vigilante played by Charlie Cox.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025
That prior nod now tees them up for Grammy voters, as do their genre-bending sophomore album, Submarine, captivating frontwoman (María Zardoya) and star-making set at Coachella 2025.
—Lori Majewski, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
Written by Keys and Lise Funderburg, the book captures the show’s thirteen-year evolution from concept to the Tony-winning stage production that’s been captivating audiences at the Shubert Theatre.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 9 Oct. 2025
Head over to the Nat Geo section to find some of the smartest educational programming out there, including this captivating 2023 miniseries about the true story of Miep Gies (a fantastic Bel Powley), a Dutch woman who helped protect Jews during the Holocaust.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivating
Adjective
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Since first impressions happen almost entirely through a screen, a clean, appealing photo is as important as a strong resume.—
Krysta Escobar,
CNBC,
18 Oct. 2025
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Ultimately, his strategy aims for a Macy’s with fewer but more appealing stores, complemented by e-commerce.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Sam also develops a bond with charismatic local guide Abdullah (Amir El-Masry), whose unlikely friendship offers him the chance to further explore his emotions.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
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Sam also develops a bond with charismatic local guide Abdullah (El-Masry) whose unlikely friendship offers him the chance to further explore his emotions.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Saturday night’s Decision Day slate answered the remaining questions in the standings across the Eastern and Western Conference, yielding a number of enticing first-round matchups and playoff bracket that will kick off following Wednesday night’s wild card play-in games.—
Avi Creditor,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
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Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce CEO Jennifer Lin again said that RH could function as an anchor business that could draw in visitors, enticing them to spend money in at surrounding small businesses.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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All college football fans know that chaos often strikes when a weekend of games doesn’t appear to be the most attractive.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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JPMorgan upgrades Coinbase to overweight from neutral JPMorgan says shares of the crypto company are too attractive to ignore.—
Michael Bloom,
CNBC,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Then the picture begins to blur before coming back into clear focus to reveal Novak, still enchanting at 92, standing in a room filled with her paintings.—
Jeremy Helligar,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Nobody Wants This is a tougher case because its leads, Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, are just so charming and many of its observations about love and family are just so spot-on that weaker elements can get lost in the froth.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
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Its charming space and drop-dead-gorgeous desserts have helped land the restaurant on the list more than 10 times.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Higginbotham thought that was fascinating.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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Simply put, sea creatures are fascinating.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In the bathroom and basement, seductive mirror effects evoke 1970s fantasies like those captured in Peter Schlesinger’s photo of a young Paloma Picasso and the aforementioned Tina Chow (who is one of Rueda’s earliest design influences) applying makeup.—
Amir Capogrossi Badreddine,
Architectural Digest,
21 Oct. 2025
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Its cypress-incense essence and its molten oud feel half-spiritual, half-seductive.—
Adam Hurly,
Robb Report,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captivating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivating. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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