mesmerize
/ˈmɛzməɹaɪz/verb
To hold someone's complete attention, as if by magic; to fascinate.
Example sentences
- “The dancer's performance mesmerized everyone in the theatre.”
- “The children were mesmerized by the colorful fish in the aquarium.”
From Franz Mesmer, the 18th-century physician whose 'animal magnetism' sessions resembled hypnosis.