Enthrall
To capture and hold someone's attention or imagination; to spellbind or fascinate.
verbEnthrall
To capture and hold someone's attention or imagination; to spellbind or fascinate.
verbImagine This
Imagine a storyteller in a candlelit theater whose words weave a glowing spell. The audience leans in, eyes wide, as if drawn by an invisible thread, completely absorbed by the tale.
Sounds Like
en-THRAWL
Looks Like
en + thrall (thrall means a slave or captive)
Remember This
Enthrall comes from en- (to cause) + thrall (a slave or captive); being 'in thrall' means being under someone’s control, which is now used figuratively to mean being captivated by something.
Other Forms
Connect With
fascinate, captivate, enchant, mesmerize, spellbind
Note
Use enthrall with a direct object: 'to enthrall someone' or 'be enthralled by/with something.' The adjective forms are enthralling and enthralled; the noun form is enthrallment. A common variant spelling is 'enthral' (less common in modern usage).
Study Deeper
- The magician enthralled the audience with an impossible levitation trick.
- The novel's gripping narrative enthralls readers from the first page to the last.
From en- (to cause) + thrall (a slave or captive). The sense evolved from placing someone in bondage to figuratively holding someone spellbound.
EN + THRALL: En (to put into) + thrall (slavery) → to put someone into a figurative 'slavery' of fascination; when you are enthralled, you are in thrall to a idea or performer.
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