To spellbind means to hold someone's complete attention, as if you've cast a magic spell on them. When a storyteller spellbinds an audience, listeners forget about everything else, lost in the tale being told.

You might watch a movie so gripping that you sit spellbound for two hours without moving. A talented musician can spellbind a concert hall, making hundreds of people focus on nothing but the music. Even in everyday life, you might find yourself spellbound by something beautiful or fascinating: watching storm clouds roll across the sky, or listening to someone describe an adventure so vividly that you can picture every detail.

The word suggests something beyond ordinary interest. When you're merely interested, you can look away or think about other things. When you're spellbound, you can't. Your attention is captured completely, almost involuntarily, as if held by an invisible force. Teachers hope to spellbind their students during lessons; great speakers spellbind audiences; thrilling books leave readers spellbound until the final page.