Enthrall

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈθɹɔːl/

Definitions

1. To capture and hold the complete attention or interest of someone in a compelling way, or to enslave someone
2. To deeply capture someone's interest or fascination; to keep someone under control as a slave
3. To charm or fascinate someone so completely they are absorbed; to bind someone as a captive or slave

Etymology: "Thrall" is the older and more striking half of this verb. In Old English "thrall" meant a slave or serf, and the word came into the language from Old Norse "þræll", a borrowing that reflects the Norse presence in northern England. Its original sense was plain and brutal: a person owned by another, with no freedom of their own. The prefix "en-" turns the noun into a verb meaning to put someone into that condition, to hold them in bondage. The meaning then softened. Over the centuries, "enthrall" came to describe being held captive by something other than chains, such as a voice, a performance, or a beautiful face. The captivity became mental rather than physical, and to be enthralled today is to be so absorbed by something that you lose track of everything else. The verb keeps its older sense of binding a person, but the bondage is now one of attention.

Synonyms: captivate, fascinate, charm, enchant, bewitch

Antonyms: bore, disappoint, repel, dissuade, alienate