as in appealing
having an often mysterious or magical power to attract
a captivating performance by the young singing sensation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of captivating
Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
Smith’s powerful lyrics and captivating melodies invite listeners to join her on this transformative journey.
—Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 26 Sep. 2025
Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Oct. 2025
They’re colloquially referred to as the comedians of the zodiac, captivating everyone around them with their innate humor and magnetic charm.
—Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivating
Adjective
The meal was made more captivating by traditional Balinese entertainment, which included dance practice for young local girls, their instructor, and a small gamelan orchestra.
—Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
Smith’s powerful lyrics and captivating melodies invite listeners to join her on this transformative journey.
—Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
The nose is captivating with aromas of brown sugar, caramel corn, and vanilla mingle with wood and a hint of cherry.
—Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Oct. 2025
They’re colloquially referred to as the comedians of the zodiac, captivating everyone around them with their innate humor and magnetic charm.
—Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivating
Adjective
-
The hybrid drivetrain delivers a welcome power boost in addition to appealing fuel economy.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
-
The backfield will continue to be a near-even split, but Marks still has the higher ceiling and more appealing value given his passing game work.—
Jake Ciely,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Such unsupervised conversational shape-shifting would make this rogue Humbert particularly charismatic.—
Vauhini Vara,
The Atlantic,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Set against the backdrop of the Mediterranean at the height of summer, the erotic thriller follows Calvin Wells (Funk), a charismatic conman who sets his sights on Katrine Winters (Williams), a mysterious billionaire widow.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Here’s how football is enticing more women to tune in (and spend money).—
Jennifer Halper,
Variety,
10 Oct. 2025
-
If that’s not enticing enough, the vineyard is kid- and dog- friendly to make sure everyone has a great time.—
Elliott Harrell,
Southern Living,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
While stocks in the region, so far, have underperformed their emerging-market peers, letting down many investors, these lower valuations are attractive to KKR because of the positive macro trends.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Kalathara will play Kavita, a brilliant and attractive female plastic surgeon who is professional and straight to the point.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Her protagonist, known to have been derived from herself in a few other ways, blunders along and is charming but delusional, unlike Austen’s fiercely independent and witty Elizabeth Bennet.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Oct. 2025
-
With more time, detour west for a half-day into tiny Siloam Springs, home to a postcard-charming downtown and impressive kayak park (open year-round; just check the website for current river conditions).—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The puzzle of who-knows-who-knows-what, always fascinating to fans of mystery novels and spy thrillers, has long preoccupied psychologists and game theorists.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Its cypress-incense essence and its molten oud feel half-spiritual, half-seductive.—
Adam Hurly,
Robb Report,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Bar Italia rose out of the London rock underground with their own seductive guitar buzz, three criminally cool types at home in the dark.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captivating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivating. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share