spellbound

Everyday

1. So interested or amazed by something that you cannot look away or think of anything else. tree →
2. In fairy tales: held under a magic spell. tree →

In the lessons

A feelings word for strong attention: an audience is spellbound by a great story or show. In The Wind in the Willows, in «The Piper at the Gates of Dawn», Rat and Mole are spellbound by the music they hear on the river. Phrase: «hold someone spellbound».

Examples

• The children sat spellbound as the storyteller spoke. tree →
• We watched the fireworks spellbound. tree →
• The magician held the audience spellbound. tree →
• Rat and Mole stood spellbound by the strange music. tree →
• In the tale, the princess was spellbound for a hundred years. tree →
• I was spellbound by the whale swimming beside the boat. tree →
• At last the King came himself, and he likewise was spellbound by the beauty of the music. tree →

Note

Adjective, usually after the verb: «they were spellbound». It comes from «spell» + «bound» (tied). Same in all forms.