plural thralls
1
a
: a state of servitude or submission
—usually used with in
in thrall to his emotions
b
: a state of complete absorption
—usually used with in
… mountains could hold me in thrall with a subtle attraction of their own …—
Elyne Mitchell
Elyne Mitchell2
a
: an enslaved person who performs the duties of a servant : bond servant
also
: serf
b
: a person in moral or mental servitude
thrall
adjective
Examples of thrall in a Sentence
Noun
I'm not your thrall, so you'll have to pick up after yourself.
a people who still bear the scars of having been in thrall for so many years
Recent Examples on the Web
Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
Fastvold’s sweeping vision keeps you in its thrall from the opening title sequence that sends you back to the mid 18th century and into the realm of the Shakers.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
From the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal to CNN and even Fox News, nearly all the country’s major newsrooms are in the thrall of this vision of politics, devoting untold amounts of energy to technocratic commentary and polling.
—Jason Blakely, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Even in the 19th century, the novel was considered a dangerous medium, one that would trap people—especially impressionable young women—in the thrall of isolation and fantasy.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thrall
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Noun
Japan’s most famous fortune-teller, Kazuko Hosoki, once held the nation in her thrall.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
Fastvold’s sweeping vision keeps you in its thrall from the opening title sequence that sends you back to the mid 18th century and into the realm of the Shakers.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
From the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal to CNN and even Fox News, nearly all the country’s major newsrooms are in the thrall of this vision of politics, devoting untold amounts of energy to technocratic commentary and polling.
—Jason Blakely, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Even in the 19th century, the novel was considered a dangerous medium, one that would trap people—especially impressionable young women—in the thrall of isolation and fantasy.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thrall
Cite this Entry
“Thrall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrall. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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