enthrall

verb

en·thrall in-ˈthrȯl How to pronounce enthrall (audio)

en-

variants or enthral

enthralled; enthralling

transitive verb

: to hold spellbound : charm

: to hold in or reduce to slavery

enthrallment

in-ˈthrȯl-mənt How to pronounce enthrall (audio)

en-

noun

Did you know?

In Middle English, enthrallen meant "to hold in thrall." Thrall then, as now, meant "bondage" or "slavery"; it comes from an Old Norse word, thraell, which is probably related to an Old High German word for "servant." An early figurative use of enthrall appeared in the following advice from the 16th century, translated from a Latin text by Thomas Newton: "A man should not … enthrall his credit and honour to Harlots." But we rarely use even this sense of mental or moral enslavement anymore. Today the word is often used in its participle form, enthralled, which sometimes means "temporarily spellbound" ("we listened, enthralled, to the old woman's oral history"), but more often suggests a state of being generally captivated, delighted, or taken by some particular thing.

Example Sentences

enthralled by the flickering fire in the hearth, we lost all track of time for years these master magicians have been enthralling audiences with their astounding illusions

Recent Examples on the Web Packing their shtick into a speedy 87 minutes, returning director Kyle Balda delivers a perfectly painless romp that should enthrall kids, entertain adults and keep Minion cosplayers employed for many a birthday party to come.

Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 28 June 2022 Yong offers these facts in a generous spirit, clearly aware that part of what will enthrall readers is discovering just how few of these facts many of us have known.

Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 22 June 2022 Adam Rapp, and the entire cast and crew, season two is sure to enthrall viewers who enjoy premium content.

Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 June 2022 These are sometimes nested, the thread connecting them not one hero but the tellers themselves, who masterfully choreograph narrative techniques—cliffhangers, innuendo, unreliability—to enthrall the reader.

Namwali Serpell, The New York Review of Books, 6 July 2022 Written by a marine biologist and illustrated by an artist in coastal Spain, this wondrous compendium will enthrall beachcombers and landlubbers alike.

New York Times, 22 June 2022 Bravado would see their son and scoop him up and whisk him toward the backstage area on the ship to enthrall the crowd even more.

Cassell Ferere, Forbes, 14 Sep. 2021 The portrayal is absorbing, committed and morbidly fascinating—one of the more memorable aspects of the Holmes persona was her unnaturally deep voice, which seemed intended to enthrall and probably did.

John Anderson, WSJ, 28 Feb. 2022 Your zone of genius areas are your interests that engage and enthrall you.

Julia Wuench, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2022 See More

单词	enthralled
释义	enthrall verb en·thrall in-ˈthrȯl en- variants or enthral enthralled; enthralling transitive verb 1 : to hold spellbound : charm 2 : to hold in or reduce to slavery enthrallment in-ˈthrȯl-mənt en- noun Did you know? In Middle English, enthrallen meant "to hold in thrall." Thrall then, as now, meant "bondage" or "slavery"; it comes from an Old Norse word, thraell, which is probably related to an Old High German word for "servant." An early figurative use of enthrall appeared in the following advice from the 16th century, translated from a Latin text by Thomas Newton: "A man should not … enthrall his credit and honour to Harlots." But we rarely use even this sense of mental or moral enslavement anymore. Today the word is often used in its participle form, enthralled, which sometimes means "temporarily spellbound" ("we listened, enthralled, to the old woman's oral history"), but more often suggests a state of being generally captivated, delighted, or taken by some particular thing. Synonyms arrest bedazzle catch up enchant fascinate grip hypnotize mesmerize spellbind See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences enthralled by the flickering fire in the hearth, we lost all track of time for years these master magicians have been enthralling audiences with their astounding illusions Recent Examples on the Web Packing their shtick into a speedy 87 minutes, returning director Kyle Balda delivers a perfectly painless romp that should enthrall kids, entertain adults and keep Minion cosplayers employed for many a birthday party to come. Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 28 June 2022 Yong offers these facts in a generous spirit, clearly aware that part of what will enthrall readers is discovering just how few of these facts many of us have known. Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 22 June 2022 Adam Rapp, and the entire cast and crew, season two is sure to enthrall viewers who enjoy premium content. Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 June 2022 These are sometimes nested, the thread connecting them not one hero but the tellers themselves, who masterfully choreograph narrative techniques—cliffhangers, innuendo, unreliability—to enthrall the reader. Namwali Serpell, The New York Review of Books, 6 July 2022 Written by a marine biologist and illustrated by an artist in coastal Spain, this wondrous compendium will enthrall beachcombers and landlubbers alike. New York Times, 22 June 2022 Bravado would see their son and scoop him up and whisk him toward the backstage area on the ship to enthrall the crowd even more. Cassell Ferere, Forbes, 14 Sep. 2021 The portrayal is absorbing, committed and morbidly fascinating—one of the more memorable aspects of the Holmes persona was her unnaturally deep voice, which seemed intended to enthrall and probably did. John Anderson, WSJ, 28 Feb. 2022 Your zone of genius areas are your interests that engage and enthrall you. Julia Wuench, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Middle English First Known Use 15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2 Kids Definition enthrall verb en·thrall in-ˈthrȯl enthralled; enthralling : to hold the attention of completely The show enthralls audiences. enthralled 1 of 2 adjective as in immersed having the mind fixed on something gave her speech to several hundred enthralled listeners Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance immersed focused absorbed interested engrossed rapt intrigued engaged attentive intent involved mesmerized observant all ears focussed deep hypnotized watchful conscious alive alert open-eyed wide-awake Antonyms & Near Antonyms distracted absent inattentive abstracted oblivious unfocused absentminded preoccupied lost dreamy unabsorbed uninterested unfocussed disinterested remote foggy hazy apathetic daydreaming inobservant faraway See More enthralled 2 of 2 verb past tense of enthrall 1 as in fascinated to hold the attention of as if by a spell enthralled by the flickering fire in the hearth, we lost all track of time Synonyms & Similar Words fascinated enchanted mesmerized spellbound thrilled hypnotized gripped entranced enraptured arrested engrossed charmed bedazzled caught up bewitched beguiled engaged involved absorbed 2 as in entranced to fill with overwhelming emotion (as wonder or delight) for years these master magicians have been enthralling audiences with their astounding illusions Synonyms & Similar Words entranced delighted enraptured fascinated pleased enchanted satisfied transported ravished captivated raptured carried away charmed rapped excited knocked dead gratified gladdened bewitched elated knocked one's socks off exhilarated stirred 3 as in interested to hold the attention of a play that will enthrall you for two hours Synonyms & Similar Words interested intrigued fascinated immersed occupied engrossed involved attracted gripped captivated busied bemused enchanted engaged mesmerized distracted preoccupied absorbed enwrapped charmed obsessed hypnotized bewitched beguiled caught up caught one's eye allured monopolized hogged Antonyms & Near Antonyms bored tired wearied jaded palled
随便看	lactated lactates lactating lactation lactational lactations lacteal lacteal gland lacteals lacteous lactescence lactescences lactescent lacti- lactic lactic acid lactic acid bacterium lactic bacterium lactic casein lactic fermentation lacticcer lacticcest lacticer lacticest lactide

enthrall

verb

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

verb

adjective

verb