Definition

1. 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.

Verb

1. hold spellbound