enthralled
Americanadjective
-
captivated or charmed.
When I watched Star Wars for the first time as a child, I was absolutely enthralled and enraptured.
-
held in slavery or subjection to some person, group, or thing; subjugated.
I am unsettled by a world where entertainment is only given by someone else and you must be enthralled to it.
verb
Etymology
Origin of enthralled
Explanation
You are enthralled when filled with delight and wonder at something, to the point where time seems to stand still. Creators of day time soap operas count on viewers being enthralled to make their money. There's a transporting quality to the act of being enthralled, as though you have been, quite literally, whisked away. This is not surprising, given the origin of the word, which comes from two Latin words, en, "to make" or "put in," and thrall, "to hold in mental or moral bondage." So the next time a movie or book (or daytime soap) enthralls you, remember you are indeed being kidnapped in some way.
Vocabulary lists containing enthralled
Death of a Salesman
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myPerspectives 9.1
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"The Witches" by Roald Dahl, Chapters 1–5
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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.
Investors, according to experts, are really enthralled by SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk’s star power — or what’s been referred to as a “Musk premium” — and vision of the future.
From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026
One star seemed genuinely enthralled that people recognized her and clapped when she came out, the other one seemed like he couldn’t get out of the show fast enough and get back to bed.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
But the sensibilities of corset-and-bustle dramas have vastly changed since the first “Forsyte Saga” enthralled 18 million U.K. viewers nearly 60 years ago.
From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026
These were all white boys in the segregated South, if ones utterly enthralled by the latest black-music sounds, and ready and happy to play behind the first area recording star, African-American Arthur Alexander.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 20, 2025
As a boy, Abdulrahman was enthralled, proud beyond measure.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
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.
