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The history of enthrall appeals far less than the word as we use it today might suggest. In Middle English, enthrallen meant “to deprive of privileges; to put in bondage.” Thrall then, as now, referred to bondage or slavery. An early figurative use of enthrall appeared in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream: “So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape.” But we rarely use even this sense of mental or moral control anymore. More often, the word simply suggests a state of being generally captivated or delighted by some particular thing. Enthrall is commonly found in its past participle form enthralled, which can mean “spellbound,” as in “we listened, enthralled, to the elder's oral history.”
Examples of enthrall in a Sentence
Robert English, EW.com, 30 July 2025
The Captive, starring Julio Peña as Miguel de Cervantes, a wounded navy soldier who, after being taken captive to Algiers in 1575, tries to escape and enthralls those around him with this storytelling.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 26 June 2025
Either way — covering her own songs or gems by other artists — Erivo is likely to enthrall.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 June 2025
Photo: Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection Seemingly every spring brings a critical and commercial hit that enthralls the cinematic community and challenges awards voters to find room for it come Oscar season.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for enthrall
Cite this Entry
“Enthrall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enthrall. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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