Enthralled

Enthralled is the past participle of the verb enthrall. To enthrall means to capture and hold someone in spellbinding interest, or to subjugate or enslave. In modern usage it most often means to fascinate or charm someone; the sense of binding power can be literal or figurative, as in being held by a performance or a tale.

Etymology and sense development: The word derives from Middle English enthrallen, from Old English in- plus thrall, meaning a slave or bound person. The original sense was to place someone under bondage; over time the figurative sense of captivating attention became predominant.

Forms: The verb has the base form enthrall, with third-person singular present enthralls; the past tense and past participle are enthralled; the present participle is enthralling. The related noun is enthrallment, though the noun form is less common in everyday usage.

Usage notes: Enthralled is widely used in literary and formal contexts to describe a strong, absorbing interest. Enthralling describes something that captivates or fascinates, while enthrall can describe the act of captivating or the state of being captivated. Synonyms include fascinated, captivated, mesmerized, spellbound; antonyms include indifferent or unimpressed. In phrasing, one can say someone is enthralled by something or something is enthralling to someone, depending on the construction.

Examples: The speaker enthralled the audience with a compelling narrative. The tale was so enthralling that readers remained enthralled from start to finish.