hypnotise
part of speech
verb (hypnotise, hypnotises, hypnotised, hypnotising; US: hypnotize); nouns: hypnosis, hypnotist
meaning for a pupil
1) To hypnotise someone means to put them into a deep, calm, dreamy state in which they pay close attention and may follow suggestions. tree →
2) To be hypnotised by something means to be so fascinated by it that you cannot look away: «hypnotised by the flames». tree →
sense in the lessons
In stories, cartoons and stage shows a hypnotist swings a watch and says «you are getting sleepy»; this is mostly showbusiness. Real hypnosis (hypnotherapy) is used by some therapists to help people relax or stop habits; people under hypnosis are not asleep and cannot be made to do things against their will. In nature, a snake is said to hypnotise its prey, though really the prey freezes with fear. Phrases: «hypnotised by», «under hypnosis», «stage hypnotist».
examples
- The magician claimed he could hypnotise anyone in the audience. tree →
- The cat was hypnotised by the fish swimming in the tank. tree →
- We sat hypnotised by the fireworks. tree →
- In the cartoon, the snake hypnotised the boy with its swirly eyes. tree →
- Some people see a hypnotist to help them stop smoking. tree →
- The music was so beautiful it almost hypnotised me. tree →
note
UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand: «hypnotise» (or «hypnotize»); USA and Canada: «hypnotize». Regular verb. Myth: a hypnotised person cannot be forced to do anything they really don't want, and hypnosis is not magic.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «hypnotise» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.