Meanings
transfix1
present singular third person transfixes · participle present transfixing · participle past transfixed · past transfixed
- transitiveTo render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe.
But we may as well accept her story as true, for it is likely she would have been transfixed by the narcissism of the weight lifters.
1973, Norman Mailer, Marilyn: A Biography, page 451 more example
He stood transfixed before the unaccustomed view of London at night time, a vast panorama which reminded him […] of some wood engravings far off and magical, in a printshop in his childhood. They dated from the previous century and were coarsely printed on tinted paper, with tinsel outlining the design.
1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC - transitiveTo pierce with a sharp pointed weapon.
The spear transfixed my arm that was uplifted In swift expostulation, and the blood Gushed round its point: I smiled, […]
1817 December, Percy Bysshe Shelley, “The Revolt of Islam. […]”, in [Mary] Shelley, editor, The Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 2371 more example
There was a little stream that ran not far away, in which he bathed, and down this on occasion would come a shoal of fish. Then the natives would assemble with spears, and with much shouting would transfix the great startled things as they hurried down to the sea.
1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 52”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC
transfix2
plural transfixes
- human sciencesA discontinuous affix, typical of Afro-Asiatic languages, which occurs at more than one position in a word, i.e. a combination of prefixes, infixes and/or suffixes.
The Arabic word مكتوب (maktūb, “written”) is built from the root [script needed] (k–t–b, “writing”) and the transfix [script needed] (ma––ū–, “passive participle”).
Synonyms & antonyms
verbto render motionless, as with a fixed stare or by arousing terror or awe
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
transfix · verb
- Latintransfigō“to pierce through”
- Old Frenchtransfixer
- Middle Frenchtransfixer
- Englishtransfix
From Middle French transfixer, from Old French transfixer, from Latin transfigō (“to pierce through”), from trans- (“through”) + figō (“to pierce”).
More words from Middle French, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian пробождам, пронизвам
- пробождам (proboždam)to pierce with a sharp pointed weapon
- пронизвам (pronizvam)to pierce with a sharp pointed weapon
- приковавам (prikovavam)to fix or impale
Chinese Mandarin 插綴 /插缀
- 插綴 /插缀a discontinuous affix, which occurs at more than one position in a word, typical of Afro-Asiatic languages
Finnish lävistää, lävistää
- lävistääto pierce with a sharp pointed weapon
- lävistääto fix or impale
French méduser, transfixe
- méduserto render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe
- transfixea discontinuous affix, which occurs at more than one position in a word, typical of Afro-Asiatic languages
German verblüffen, in Erstaunen versetzen
- verblüffento render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe
- in Erstaunen versetzento render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe
- in Ehrfurcht versetzento render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe
- erstaunento render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe
- verwundernto render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe
- Ehrfurcht einflößento render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe
- durchbohrento pierce with a sharp pointed weapon
- durchstechento pierce with a sharp pointed weapon
- fixierento fix or impale
- aufspießento fix or impale
Greek καθηλώνω, διατρυπώ
- καθηλώνω (kathilóno)to render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe
- διατρυπώ (diatrypó)to pierce with a sharp pointed weapon
- ανασκολοπίζω (anaskolopízo)to fix or impale
- καρφώνω (karfóno)to fix or impale
Italian transfisso
- transfissoa discontinuous affix, which occurs at more than one position in a word, typical of Afro-Asiatic languages
Latin transfīgō
- transfīgōto pierce with a sharp pointed weapon
Russian пронза́ть
- пронза́ть (pronzátʹ)to pierce with a sharp pointed weapon
Spanish transfijar, transfijar
- transfijarto render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe
- transfijarto pierce with a sharp pointed weapon
- transfijarto fix or impale
- transfijoa discontinuous affix, which occurs at more than one position in a word, typical of Afro-Asiatic languages
Swedish paralysera, lamslå
- paralyserato render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe
- lamslåto render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe
- spetsato pierce with a sharp pointed weapon
- spetsato fix or impale
Turkish saplamak, sançmak
- saplamakto pierce with a sharp pointed weapon
- sançmakto pierce with a sharp pointed weapon
- saplamakto fix or impale
- sançmakto fix or impale
Cite this entry
transfix. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/transfix
“transfix.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/transfix. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “transfix,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/transfix.
Source: transfix on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.