To hypnotize someone means to put them into a trance-like state where they become deeply relaxed and highly focused on the hypnotist's voice and suggestions. A person who is hypnotized isn't asleep or unconscious: they're aware of what's happening but in such a concentrated mental state that they can tune out distractions more easily than usual.

Real hypnosis is different from what you see in cartoons, where a villain swings a pocket watch and makes someone cluck like a chicken. Actual hypnosis requires the person's cooperation and trust. Doctors and therapists sometimes use hypnosis to help patients manage pain, break habits like nail-biting, or overcome fears. During hypnosis, a person can't be forced to do anything against their values.

The word also has a figurative meaning: when something hypnotizes you, it captures your complete attention. A beautiful sunset might hypnotize you, holding your gaze until someone calls your name. A skilled magician can hypnotize an audience with an amazing trick. In this sense, to be hypnotized means to be so fascinated by something that you temporarily forget about everything else around you.