spellbound 1 of 2

adjective

ˈspel-ˌbau̇nd How to pronounce spellbound (audio)
Definition of spellboundnext
as in charmed
being or appearing to be under a magic spell spellbound audiences never tire of this annual Christmas favorite

Synonyms & Similar Words

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spellbound

2 of 2

verb

past tense of spellbind
as in fascinated
to hold the attention of as if by a spell the tale about pirates and their buried treasure had completely spellbound the children

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 spellbound
Adjective
The ecstatic scenes across the country after a Mexico win, most notably in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, the three host cities, paint the picture of a nation spellbound by its football team. — Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 1 July 2026 The town was spellbound over this horrific murders. — Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 4 June 2026 The result was a strangely spellbound life. — Merve Emre, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025 The waxing and waning of the substorm conditions fuel auroras all night, keeping us spellbound for hours. — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 17 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spellbound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spellbound
  1. charmed
  2. fascinated
  3. enchanted
  4. mesmerized
  5. magic
  6. magical
Adjective
  • Susanna was pleased, quite charmed, in fact, with this Platonically flavoured analysis.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Since then, Cregger has gone on one of the most charmed runs of any filmmaker in town.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of charmed
Verb
  • On a visit to the Bargello sculpture museum in Florence, Italy, a 3-year-old friend of mine was fascinated by its statues’ naked butts.
    — Blake Gopnik, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • He’s always been obsessed with historic epochs like the Civil War and World War II and fascinated with the post-war boom and the sojourns of Route 66.
    — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of fascinated
Adjective
  • Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Jacob Tremblay voice two teenagers, Prue and Curtis, who venture into an enchanted forest to rescue Prue’s baby brother in this dark fantasy.
    — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Her quest takes her into the Impassable Wilderness — an enchanted forest just outside Portland.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of enchanted
Verb
  • Fielder himself is reluctantly mesmerized, initially with the unlikely nature of the project — who on earth invites a film crew into their home mere days before Mommy goes to prison?
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • No one was standing over my shoulder telling me to pay it special attention, but I was mesmerized.
    — Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of mesmerized
Adjective
  • Speculating on how a magic trick was done that stumped me in a bar 17 years ago.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The latest 104-qubit simulation, however, accounts for realistic hardware noise, allowing researchers to examine how errors affect magic state cultivation.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of magic
Adjective
  • In 2026, the gemlike Brooklyn venue lent Kushner’s project a magical quality, turning the audience into ghosts from the future, eavesdropping on the fall of the Weimar Republic but unable to intervene.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • But the familiarity of the fantasy elements and the brusqueness with which they’re treated would be forgivable if Wildwood did a better job exploring how the real world connects to the magical side of the story.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of magical

Browse Nearby Words

spellbinds
spellbound
spelled
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Cite this Entry

“Spellbound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spellbound. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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