hypnotize
B2Neutral (common in both formal and informal contexts)
Definition
Meaning
To put a person or animal into a trance-like state where they are highly responsive to suggestion and may not be fully aware of their surroundings.
To capture someone's attention so completely that they seem unaware of anything else; to fascinate or mesmerize.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The core meaning relates to the clinical or entertainment practice of inducing hypnosis. The extended, figurative meaning is very common, used to describe deep fascination.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
British English also commonly uses the spelling 'hypnotise'. The '-ize' ending is standard in American English and accepted in British English, though '-ise' is a common British variant.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties.
Frequency
Both literal and figurative uses are equally common in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Sb] hypnotizes [Sb/animal][Sb/sth] hypnotizes [Sb] with [sth]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to be like a rabbit/duck hypnotized by headlights (variation of 'deer in headlights')”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. 'The CEO's vision hypnotized the investors.' (figurative)
Academic
Found in psychology and neuroscience texts discussing therapeutic or experimental techniques.
Everyday
Common, especially in its figurative sense: 'That show hypnotized the children.'
Technical
Specific to clinical psychology, psychotherapy, and stage hypnotism for its literal meaning.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The therapist can hypnotise patients to help manage anxiety.
- The shimmering lake hypnotised us completely.
American English
- The magician will hypnotize a volunteer from the audience.
- The flickering fire hypnotized the campers.
adverb
British English
- He stared hypnotically at the pendulum.
- The light swayed hypnotisingly in the breeze.
American English
- She spoke hypnotically, lulling them into agreement.
- The snake moved hypnotizingly.
adjective
British English
- She had a hypnotising gaze.
- The film's hypnotic rhythm was absorbing.
American English
- He has a hypnotizing voice.
- The data presented a hypnotic pattern.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The baby was hypnotized by the mobile above the cot.
- The magician tried to hypnotise the man.
- Some people are easier to hypnotize than others.
- I was hypnotized by the beautiful colours of the sunset.
- The psychologist used hypnotic suggestion to help the patient recall the memory.
- The repetitive beat of the music had a hypnotic effect on the dancers.
- Critics argue that advertising hypnotizes consumers into making unnecessary purchases.
- The speaker's rhetorical flair hypnotized the assembly, leaving no room for dissent.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'hypno-tie' – imagine a hypnotist's swinging watch tie that you can't look away from.
Conceptual Metaphor
ATTENTION IS A TRANCE / FASCINATION IS A FORCED ALTERED STATE (e.g., 'I was hypnotized by the performance').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque from Russian 'гипнотизировать' when it means 'to stare intently/fixedly'. In English, 'hypnotize' requires a stronger sense of complete mental capture or actual trance induction. For simple staring, use 'stare at', 'fix one's gaze on'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'hypnotize' to mean simply 'to look at' (e.g., 'He hypnotized the document' is wrong). Overusing the figurative sense in formal technical writing where precision is needed.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'hypnotize' used in its primary, literal sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Hypnotize' is the standard spelling in American English. 'Hypnotise' is a common variant in British English, but the '-ize' spelling is also correct and used in the UK, especially in formal and academic publishing.
In popular culture, yes. In reality, hypnosis requires a degree of willingness and cooperation from the subject; it is not a form of mind control that overrides free will.
Figuratively, they are synonyms. Literally, 'hypnotize' refers to the specific technique of inducing a trance, while 'mesmerize' historically referred to an earlier theory of 'animal magnetism' (Mesmerism). Today, 'mesmerize' is almost exclusively used figuratively.
Yes, but only in the extended, figurative sense. We say a flickering screen or a winding road 'hypnotizes' us, meaning it captivates our attention utterly, not that it induces a clinical trance.
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