captiver
/kap.ti.ve/
To enthrall in French is captiver.
The verb is used to describe the act of holding someone spellbound.
Meaning: hold spellbound (verb)
Which one should you use?
While captiver is the default verb, you can also use envoûter or fasciner to express the idea of enthralling someone.
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe someone or something as being in a state of being enthralled, you can use the past participle captivé as an adjective. If you are describing a feminine noun that is enthralling, use the feminine form captivante.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /kap.ti.ve/.
Did you know?
- French differentiates between being enthralled by beauty captiver and being enthralled by a sudden, shocking force sidérer, which literally means to be struck by a star.
- While captiver means to enthrall, its root is the same as the word for 'captive' or 'prisoner'. In French, being spellbound is linguistically framed as being a prisoner of one's attention.
- The verb envoûter shares a more mystical root than captiver, as it literally carries the connotation of casting a literal spell or 'voodoo' over someone.
Examples in context
- Il a captivé son public avec son discours inspirantHe enthralled his audience with his inspiring speech
- Le film envoûte le spectateur avec son histoire captivanteThe movie enthralls the viewer with its captivating story
- Le livre de cet auteur m'a fasciné de la première à la dernière pageThis author's book enthralled me from the first to the last page
- Son ami le passionne avec ses récits de voyage incroyablesHis friend enthralls him with his incredible travel stories
- Le spectacle m'a vraiment accroché, je n'ai pas vu le temps passerThe show really enthralled me. I didn't notice the time passing
- Elle le charme toujours avec ses histoires drôles et captivantesShe always enthralls him with her funny and captivating stories
- Ce spectacle m'a captivé.This show enthralled me.
- Ce spectacle va captiver le public.This show will captivate the audience.
- Son histoire peut captiver n'importe qui.Her story can captivate anyone.
- La beauté de ce paysage va vous captiver.The beauty of this landscape will captivate you.
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are discussing a new book in a cafe.
- LéaCe nouveau roman va te captiver.This new novel will captivate you.
- LucasEst-ce que l'intrigue est vraiment si bonne ?Is the plot really that good?
- LéaOui, elle peut captiver le lecteur immédiatement.Yes, it can captivate the reader immediately.
- LucasAlors, je vais l'acheter tout de suite.Then, I am going to buy it right now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry captiver, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
