spellbound
adjUS /ˈspɛlˌbaʊnd/
Etymology From spell + bound.
1
Under the influence of a magical spell; enchanted, bewitched, or supernaturally constrained.
- At once he sniffed the smell of man. At once he feared his hidden lair had been looted while he slept. How had a man dared to come so close? He must have trod next to the dragon's head so as not to be spellbound.1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 41:
2
Fascinated by something; entranced as if by a spell; captivated.
- The story left the children spellbound.
- Related terms
- spellbind