thrall

1 of 2

noun

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
2
a
: an enslaved person who performs the duties of a servant : bondman
also : serf
b
: a person in moral or mental servitude
thrall adjective
thralldom noun
or thraldom

thrall

2 of 2

verb

thralled; thralling; thralls

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
Noun
Trump — and the Republican Party in his thrall — has embraced anti-immigrant policies and proposals, peddled racist stereotypes, and demonized immigrants. Christian Paz, Vox, 25 Sep. 2024 To be certain, Harris is not putting Republican converts at the heart of her strategy, recognizing the limited opportunity challenging a GOP largely in Trump's thrall. Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2024 The major difference in value between a thrall and a free man reflects the power dynamics in a slave society. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2024 Munro wrote brilliantly about women in deep thrall to men who were cold, frightening, and manipulative. Roxana Robinson, TIME, 18 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for thrall 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thrall.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English thral, from Old English thræl, from Old Norse thræll

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thrall was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near thrall

Cite this Entry

“Thrall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrall. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

thrall

noun
ˈthrȯl
1
: an enslaved person
2
a
: a state of servitude or submission
in thrall to his emotions
b
: a state of complete attention
the play held me in thrall
thralldom noun
or thraldom
ˈthrȯl-dəm

More from Merriam-Webster on thrall

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