enthrall
/in'θrɔ:l/ Cách viết khác : (enthrall) /in'θrɔ:l/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To hold someone's complete attention as if by magic; to captivate or fascinate someone so deeply that they are unable to think of anything else.
- (Archaic) To enslave or subjugate someone.
Usage
- The primary modern use of "enthrall" is to describe the act of captivating someone's mind or imagination completely.
- It is a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object (e.g., ).
- The past tense and past participle are "enthralled." The present participle is "enthralling."
Examples
- Verb:
- The magician's performance enthralled the entire crowd.
- She was enthralled by the intricate details of the ancient manuscript.
- The documentary about deep-sea creatures is truly enthralling.
Advanced Usage
- "to be enthralled by/with something": To be completely captivated by something.
- The children were enthralled by the puppet show.
- "to hold/keep someone enthralled": To maintain someone's complete fascination.
- The speaker's powerful narrative held the audience enthralled for over an hour.
Variants and Related Words
- Enthralling (adj.): Capable of captivating completely; fascinating.
- He gave an enthralling lecture on space exploration.
- Enthrallment (n.): The state of being captivated.
- The film led to the complete enthrallment of its viewers.
Synonyms
- Captivate: To attract and hold the interest of.
- Fascinate: To attract and hold attentively by a unique power or charm.
- Mesmerize: To hold the attention of someone entirely.
- Spellbind: To hold someone's attention completely as if by a spell.
Phrasal Verbs
(This word does not commonly form phrasal verbs.)
Related Idioms
- To be in someone's thrall: To be completely under someone's influence or control. (This idiom uses the related noun "thrall," from which "enthrall" is derived, meaning a state of slavery or servitude.)
- The kingdom was in the thrall of a cruel sorcerer.