CAPTIVATION Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

captivation

noun

Definition of captivation

as in appeal

the power of irresistible attraction by some mysterious method of captivation, the therapist is able to evoke a response from even the shiest of children

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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 captivation Ultimately, Fonda opened up to dating Turner, and their relationship became a point of captivation for the media, as the liberal Hollywood star and the conservative, audacious businessman appeared to be total opposites. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026 Wembanyama’s captivation with the intricacies of space travel was apparent. — Jared Weiss, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivation

Noun

He was sentenced to death in 1986, won an appeal for a new sentencing hearing and was again sentenced to death in 1989.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
The mish-mash of different stands, for instance, at Harrogate Town’s Wetherby Road — now no longer part of the ’92’, following their relegation in May— gave the place a certain appeal, even though the National League felt a more natural home.

— Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of appeal

Noun

There he was routinely beaten, an experience which instilled in him a lifelong fascination with flagellation and pain.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
But there was a kind of bemusement with our fascination with the Wild West and our fixation on cowboys, and a sense that America has gone off the rails.

— Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of fascination

Noun

The neighborhood/area Hôtel Royal is just one of the shining attractions of Evian Resort.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026
That said, together, the synergy of Venus and Pluto can make an attraction feel more compelling, or perhaps a conversation more intimate than usual.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of attraction

Noun

That’s the seductiveness of the Reflecting Pool.

— Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 25 June 2026
Their easy, hedonic seductiveness emerges, too, via Yuskavage’s lush, rounded, fleshy brushstrokes (a different sort of stroke material, for the patriarchy or for anyone else), which render everything from boobs to bellies to nipples smooth and swollen, like a succulent fruit fixing to burst.

— Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 23 May 2026

Definition of seductiveness

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captivating

captivation

captivator

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“Captivation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivation. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of captivation

noun

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