hypnotize

verb

hyp·​no·​tize ˈhip-nə-ˌtīz How to pronounce hypnotize (audio)
hypnotized; hypnotizing

transitive verb

1
: to induce hypnosis in
2
: to dazzle or overcome by or as if by suggestion
a voice that hypnotizes its hearers
drivers hypnotized by speed
hypnotizability noun
hypnotizable adjective

Examples of hypnotize in a Sentence

The therapist hypnotized him and asked him questions about his traumatic experiences in the war. He can hypnotize people with his stare.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This is the formal, technical, and maybe even industry term for exactly what viewers will suspect; the ornate sitting room of the Staten Island mansion where a group of vampires gather to lounge, fight, and occasionally hypnotize a private school principal to the point of irreparable brain damage. Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2024 Police later hypnotized the witness, who was an auto body repairman, and were able to get a better description of the vehicle: a maroon-reddish 1970 Dodge Polara with a beat-up white vinyl top and its passenger door smashed in, according to a Statesman article from 1980. Skye Seipp, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Aug. 2024 She’s even sought some unique measures to prevent any awkward sweaty situations in the future, including getting hypnotized to sweat less. EW.com, 5 Nov. 2024 Drive anywhere in the States and you’ll be hypnotized by banality: Practically every new car looks the same, and the look is boring, pedestrian, smooth-brained. Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hypnotize 

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hypnotize was in 1843

Dictionary Entries Near hypnotize

Cite this Entry

“Hypnotize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypnotize. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hypnotize

verb
hyp·​no·​tize ˈhip-nə-ˌtīz How to pronounce hypnotize (audio)
hypnotized; hypnotizing
1
: to cause hypnosis in
2
: to deaden judgment or resistance by or as if by hypnotic suggestion
hypnotizable adjective

Medical Definition

hypnotize

transitive verb
hyp·​no·​tize
variants also British hypnotise
hypnotized also British hypnotised; hypnotizing also British hypnotising
1
: to induce hypnosis in
2
: to influence by or as if by suggestion
a voice that hypnotizes its hearers
hypnotizability noun
also British hypnotisability
plural hypnotizabilities
hypnotizable adjective
also British hypnotisable

More from Merriam-Webster on hypnotize

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!