Captivate \Cap"ti*vate\, p. a. [L. captivatus.] Taken prisoner; made captive; insnared; charmed.
Women have been captivate ere now. --Shak.
Captivate \Cap"ti*vate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Captivated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Captivating}.] [L. captivatus, p. p. of captivare to capture, fr. captivus captive. See {Captive}.] 1. To take prisoner; to capture; to subdue. [Obs.]
Their woes whom fortune captivates. --Shak.
2. To acquire ascendancy over by reason of some art or attraction; to fascinate; to charm; as, Cleopatra captivated Antony; the orator captivated all hearts.
Small landscapes of captivating loveliness. --W. Irving.
Syn: To enslave; subdue; overpower; charm; enchant; bewitch; facinate; capture; lead captive.
Large, free-standing houses so close to each other surprise Europeans who would expect each to be in its own park, but their elegance and the beauty of the woods soon captivate.
"Carrie" didn't captivate the critics or audiences, but the $8 million musical about a troubled teen-ager with telekinetic powers set one kind of record.
This autumn the Barbican will stage an exhibition of Mucha, who as a Czech nationalist is perhaps even more likely to captivate a younger generation than last time round.