thrall
Americannoun
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a person who is morally or mentally enslaved by some power, influence, or the like.
He was the thrall of morbid fantasies.
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a person held in bondage or slavery.
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the condition of being in the power of something or someone; a state of subjugation or rapt absorption.
We will receive no help from the media, who are for the most part in thrall to the political establishment.
verb (used with object)
adjective
noun
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Also called: thraldom. thralldom. the state or condition of being in the power of another person
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a person who is in such a state
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a person totally subject to some need, desire, appetite, etc
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of thrall
First recorded before 950; Middle English thral, thral(l)e, threl(l)e, Old English thrǣl “bondman, slave, servant, thrall,” from Old Norse thrǣll “slave, servant”
Explanation
When you're in thrall to someone, you are under their control in some way. If you're being held as a hostage, you're in thrall to your captor. You can be in thrall to anything that holds you captive or controls your thoughts or actions, like an addiction, a disease, or a cult leader. The Old English word that thrall comes from literally means "slave" or "servant." Another word with the same root as thrall is enthrall, which is sort of a friendlier version of the same idea. If you're enthralled by someone, you're captivated or fascinated, rather than "held in bondage."
Vocabulary lists containing thrall
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Tragedy of Macbeth
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"What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" by Frederick Douglass
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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.
He was utterly in thrall to rugby and massively supportive of Gregor Townsend and his players.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
Efforts to make it appear that one of the world’s wickedest men would be in thrall to this milky, recessive nonentity are laughable.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
Thurman benefits the most from spending an entire afternoon in the thrall of her performance.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2025
Kevin acknowledges he was seduced by the thrall of easy money.
From Salon • Jun. 26, 2025
He wrote the last few words with a smile, for the bull terrier had Mrs. Oakes completely in thrall and worked his advantage to the full.
From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford
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.
