enthral
/ɪnˈθrɔːl
/ /ɛnˈθrɔːl/(US enthrall)
verb (enthrals, enthralling, enthralled) [with object]
1Capture the fascinated attention of: she had been so enthralled by the adventure that she had hardly noticed the cold...
- Still, she was pretty, and pretty seemed to be enough to enthrall Fabian's attention.
- On the way here, she had been enthralled, mesmerised, spellbound by the area.
- The story enthrals you from the first page to the last as the plot unravels at a speedy pace.
Synonyms
captivate, charm, enchant, bewitch, fascinate, beguile, entrance, enrapture, delight, attract, allure, lure;
win, ensnare, dazzle, absorb, engross, rivet, grip, transfix, root someone to the spot, transport, carry away, hypnotize, mesmerize, intrigue, spellbind, hold spellbound
informal get under someone's skin
fascinating, entrancing, enchanting, bewitching, captivating, charming, beguiling, enrapturing;
delightful, attractive, alluring, winning, dazzling, absorbing, engrossing, memorable, compelling, riveting, readable, gripping, exciting, transfixing, transporting, hypnotic, mesmerizing, intriguing, spellbinding
informal unputdownable
2 (also inthrall) archaic Enslave: it is as hard and dangerous to inthrall a people that would live free
Derivatives
enthralment
/ /ɛnˈθrɔːlm(ə)nt / (US enthrallment) noun ...- I turn away and feign sudden enthrallment by the display behind me to buy a little time as I debate whether to say hello.
- Self-gratification and enthralment to the trivial increasingly characterize society.
- Those of us who enjoy this genre have been captivated by themes so gripping, stories so mature, and characters so cool that we can't help our enthrallment.
Origin
Late Middle English (in the sense 'enslave'; formerly also as inthrall): from en-1, in-2 (as an intensifier) + thrall.