hypnotize
UK[ˈhɪpnətaɪz]US[ˈhɪpnətaɪz]
v
to produce a state like sleep in a person in which their thoughts and actions can be influenced by your suggestions
v
to hold the attention of someone completely, often in a way that makes them unable to think of anything else
Morpheme Breakdown
hypno
tize
hypno
sleep
tize
verb suffix
Etymology
the word hypnotize is a modern scientific formation from the late 19th century. it is built upon the greek root 'hypnos', the name for the god of sleep in greek mythology, which directly conveys the concept of sleep. the suffix '-ize', a productive verb-forming element in english, is attached to mean 'to cause to be in a state of'. the literal construction 'to cause sleep' evolved into the specific modern meaning of inducing a trance-like state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility, distinct from ordinary sleep. this etymological path illustrates how a mythological figure's name was abstracted into a psychological term.
Analysis
Structure: hypno (sleep) + tize (verb suffix)
hypno originates from greek 'hypnos', meaning sleep, and functions as the core root. tize is a verb-forming suffix derived from greek '-izein' via latin and french, indicating to make or to cause.
Examples
the therapist was able to hypnotize his patient to help her overcome her fear of flying.
the rhythmic music and flashing lights seemed to hypnotize the entire audience.
you shouldn't let advertisements hypnotize you into buying things you don't need.