different between enthrall vs thrall

English

Alternative forms

• enthral (British)

Etymology

From Middle English enthrallen, equivalent to en- +? thrall.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?????l/

Verb

enthrall (third-person singular simple present enthralls, present participle enthralling, simple past and past participle enthralled)

1. (transitive) To hold spellbound.

   Synonyms: bewitch, captivate, charm, enchant, transfix
2. (transitive, rare) To make subservient.

   Synonyms: enslave, subjugate

   Antonym: disenthrall

Translations

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “enthrall”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /????l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /???l/, /???l/
• Rhymes: -??l

Etymology 1

From Middle English thral, thralle, threl, threlle, from Old English þr?l (“thrall, slave, servant”), from Old Norse þræll (“slave”), from Proto-Germanic *þrahilaz, *þragilaz, *þrigilaz (“runner, gofer, servant”), from Proto-Indo-European *tr?g?- (“to pull, drag, race, run”); according to ODS probably related to Gothic ???????????????????????????? (þragjan), Old English þr??an (“to run”).

Noun

thrall (plural thralls)

1. One who is enslaved or under mind control.
   • 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, The Physician's Tale,

     My servant, which that is my thrall by right

   • 1886-88, Richard F. Burton, The Supplemental Nights to the Thousand Nights and a Night:

     Hereat its Marid appeared and said to him, "Adsum! thy thrall between thy hands is come: ask of me whatso thou wantest."
2. (uncountable) The state of being under the control of another person.
3. A shelf; a stand for barrels, etc.

Related terms

• thralldom

Translations

Adjective

thrall (comparative more thrall, superlative most thrall)

1. (archaic) Enthralled; captive.
   • 1536, Thomas Wyatt, Satire I:

     Rather than to live thrall, under the awe

     Of lordly lokes, wrapped within my cloke […]

Etymology 2

From Middle English thrallen, from the noun above. Compare Old Norse þræla.

Verb

thrall (third-person singular simple present thralls, present participle thralling, simple past and past participle thralled)

1. To make a thrall; enslave.

Related terms

• enthrall

References