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enthrall

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

To captivate, enslave, or hold someone entirely under another's power; often used figuratively for an overwhelming emotional or imaginative influence.

Detailed Definition
In older usage, enthrall means to make someone a slave or captive. Donne asks God to overpower him completely, using the word to express a paradoxical desire for freedom through submission.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Except you enthrall me, never shall be free” makes enthrall mean captivate or enslave; Shakespeare’s Prospero speaks of releasing captives, a useful context for the word’s older sense of bondage; “The singer’s low refrain enthralled the crowded room” shows its modern sense of fascination; “Do not enthrall the heart with promises of gold” retains a warning about seductive power
Additional Notes
“Enthrall” is a less common, older sense of the word than the modern idea of simply fascinating someone.; Found in the poem, Batter my heart, three-person'd God by John Donne
Also Known As
fascinate captivate
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