What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
hooked
Example
I'm hooked on this new TV series. [hooked: adjective]
Example
The fish was hooked and pulled out of the water. [hooked: verb]
Example
She's hooked on playing video games all day. [hooked: adjective]
captivated
Example
The audience was captivated by the singer's performance. [captivated: adjective]
Example
I was captivated by the novel's plot twists. [captivated: past tense verb]
Example
She was captivated by his charming smile. [captivated: past participle verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Hooked is more commonly used in everyday language than captivated. Hooked is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while captivated is less common and tends to be used in more formal or literary contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between hooked and captivated?
Captivated is generally considered more formal and sophisticated than hooked, which is more casual and colloquial.