enthralling
Britishadjective
Explanation
Something enthralling is fascinating — you become completely absorbed in it. An enthralling book is hard to put down, even when it's past your bedtime. When things captivate or grip you, they're enthralling. You can find another person enthralling, or a well-made movie, a wonderful concert, or an entrancing painting in a museum. Enthralling comes from the verb enthrall, which means "capture one's attention," but had the original meaning of "enslave." The word comes from the prefix en-, "make or put in," and thrall, from the Old English þræl, "serf or slave."
Vocabulary lists containing enthralling
Pay Attention! Synonyms for "Interesting"
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Words to Describe a Novel or a Story
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"The Picture of Dorian Gray," Vocabulary from Preface-Chapter 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His book is an enthralling exploration of what it means to wear glasses, and “their place in popular culture.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
Monday's enthralling match was one of the games of the season and the result, following an incredible finale, might well prove pivotal at the end of the campaign.
From BBC • May 4, 2026
That movie opens ever outward in its metaphoric power, becoming an enthralling, defining vision of its era of media, and the new “Faces of Death” initially seems to have similar ambitions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
Miller gives both characters some claim on the truth, making the twisting argument that breaks out between the brothers enthralling to follow.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
He holds my gaze as if he can smell my fear, a cobra enthralling its prey.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
