Unspellbound

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Freed from a state of enchantment or intense fascination to no longer be captivated
2. No longer held under a magical spell or deeply absorbed interest
3. Having escaped the power of a charm or the grip of intense mesmerism

Etymology: "Unspellbound" is formed from "spellbound" plus the negative prefix "un-". "Spellbound" was originally a plain compound of "spell" (in the sense of a charm or magical utterance) and "bound," meaning held fast or fixed in place, so the older sense was simply someone held by a magic charm. The "spell" in that word goes back to Old English "spel," meaning a story or discourse, which later took on the sense of a magical formula. The negative prefix "un-" is an ordinary Old English element that English has attached to adjectives and participles for centuries, so "unspellbound" follows the same pattern as words like "unbound" or "unbroken." Its meaning is transparent: a person or creature released from the magic that held them. Because the formation is a regular one, the word needs no special coinage story; its interest lies in how neatly it reverses an older compound.

Synonyms: disenchanted, unentranced, unbewitched, unmesmerized, unhypnotized

Antonyms: spellbound, entranced, mesmerized, captivated, bewitched