Definition

Noun: 1. A state of being completely captivated or spellbound: The condition of being filled with such intense wonder, delight, or fascination that one is absorbed and loses awareness of other things. 2. A feeling of rapturous delight and enchantment: A profound sense of pleasure and awe, often caused by something beautiful, magical, or mesmerizing.

Usage

Entrancement describes a passive state of being utterly absorbed or charmed. It is typically caused by an external stimulus (e.g., music, a performance, a scene) that holds one's complete attention in a pleasant way. It is a formal or literary term.

Examples

• The audience watched the ballet with complete entrancement, not making a sound.
• The entrancement she felt while gazing at the starry sky was indescribable.
• The magician's act held the children in a state of pure entrancement.

Advanced Usage

• "To hold someone in entrancement": To captivate someone completely.
  • The storyteller's voice held the entire room in entrancement.
• "A state of entrancement": A common collocation emphasizing the condition.
  • She listened to the symphony in a state of deep entrancement.

Variants and Related Words

• Entrance (verb): To fill with wonder and delight, to captivate. (e.g., )
• Entrancing (adjective): Captivating, enchanting. (e.g., )
• Trancelike (adjective): Resembling a trance, which is a related but often more dissociative state.

Synonyms

• Enchantment: A feeling of great pleasure or delight caused by something charming.
• Captivation: The state of having one's interest or attention completely held.
• Rapture: A feeling of intense pleasure or joy.
• Bewitchment: The state of being under a spell or powerful charm.
• Fascination: The power to attract or interest someone intensely.

Antonyms

• Boredom: The state of feeling weary and uninterested.
• Indifference: Lack of interest, concern, or sympathy.
• Repulsion: A feeling of intense distaste or disgust.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Spellbound: So fascinated or captivated by something that one cannot move or look away. (This is a near-idiomatic synonym for being in a state of entrancement.)
  • The tale left them spellbound.
• Lost in wonder: Fully absorbed in a feeling of amazement.
  • He stood lost in wonder before the ancient painting.

Noun

1. a feeling of delight at being filled with wonder and enchantment