What does enthral mean?
Word: Enthral
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Enthral means to hold someone's whole attention with wonder or delight.
Synonyms: absorb
How do you spell enthral?
Syllables: en - thral
Tricky part: Keep the h after the t, and in British English end the word with one l: enthral, not enthrall, which is the American form.
Watch out for: enthrawl, entral
Memory tip: In British English the l stays single in enthral and enthrals, and doubles only before ed or ing: enthralled, enthralling.
Enthral in a sentence
Example 1: The puppet show enthralled every child in the hall.
Example 2: Her stories of life in the Andamans enthral her grandchildren.
Example 3: Cricket fans were enthralled by the last over.
Fun Fact
Enthral is one of a small group of verbs that British English spells with one l and American English with two, along with fulfil, instil and distil.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
e_thr_l
a) n, a
b) n, u
c) m, a
d) n, o
Show answer
a) n, a. The word starts with en, as in enjoy, and the last vowel is a, said 'aw'.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word enthralled as used in the sentence:
The old fisherman's tales of the sea enthralled the children on the beach.
a) worried
b) fascinated
c) bored
d) puzzled
Show answer
b) fascinated. Children who are enthralled are fascinated, listening with all their attention.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence hides a jumbled word. Choose the word:
Folk dancers from Assam will tanrleh the crowd at the school's annual day.
a) central
b) enthrone
c) enthral
d) neutral
Show answer
c) enthral. Enthrone needs an o and a second n, central a c and neutral a u; the seven letters spell enthral.
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. spectater 2. enthral 3. rehearsal 4. applause
a) a person who watches an event or a game
b) to hold someone's whole attention with delight
c) a practice of a play or concert before the real show
d) the clapping that shows an audience enjoyed a show
Show answer
a) a person who watches an event or a game. Spectator ends in or, as actor does; enthral, applause and rehearsal are correct.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. If a book enthrals you, you probably ____.
a) skip straight to the end
b) fall asleep reading it
c) give it away at once
d) cannot put it down
Show answer
d) cannot put it down
2. An enthralled crowd at a concert would be ____.
a) leaving in small groups
b) silent and watching every move
c) chatting about what to eat later
d) looking at their phones
Show answer
b) silent and watching every move
