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cativar

[kah-tee-VAHR]
verb
to captivate, to charm, to enchant
1. to attract and hold the interest or attention of someone
Her charm captivated everyone in the room.
Seu charme cativou todos na sala.
2. to win over or gain the affection of someone
He managed to captivate her with his intelligence.
Ele conseguiu cativá-la com sua inteligência.
3. to take into captivity or enslave (archaic/historical usage)
The enemy forces sought to captivate the prisoners.
As forças inimigas procuravam cativar os prisioneiros.
Synonyms
encantarseduziratrairfascinarconquistarsubjugar
Antonyms
repelirdesagradarafastardesencanto

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
cativar
standard usage, very common in modern speech
Rio de Janeiro
cativar
standard usage with emphasis on romantic/social contexts
São Paulo
cativar
standard usage, formal and informal contexts
Portugal
cativar
standard usage, slightly more formal tone than in Brazil

Related Idioms & Phrases

cativar o coração
cativar a atenção
cativar a audiência
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