What does enthralled mean?
Word: Enthralled
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Enthralled means so interested in something, or so delighted by it, that you give it all your attention and cannot look away.
Synonyms: spellbound, fascinated
Antonyms: bored, uninterested
How do you spell enthralled?
Syllables: en - thralled
Tricky part: In British English the verb is enthral, with one l, but the l doubles before -ed: enthralled.
Watch out for: enthraled, entralled
Memory tip: Think of the two l's as two eyes wide open, glued to the stage: the enthralled audience keeps both of them on the show.
Enthralled in a sentence
Example 1: We sat enthralled as the storyteller at the Jaipur Literature Festival acted out every voice.
Example 2: My cousins were enthralled by the elephant procession during Thrissur Pooram.
Example 3: Grandpa was so enthralled by the test match that his tea went cold.
Fun Fact
Thrall was an old word for a servant who had to obey a master, so to enthral someone first meant to hold them in your power; the sense 'to hold someone's attention' came later.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the option in which the following letters will fit in the given order:
e, a, e
a) __nst__ll__d
b) c__nc__ll__d
c) __nr__ll__d
d) __nthr__ll__d
Show answer
d) __nthr__ll__d. Only enthralled takes e, a, e; enrolled needs e, o, e, installed i, a, e and cancelled a, e, e.
Sound Check
In which word is 'th' pronounced differently?
a) throne
b) enthralled
c) though
d) thread
Show answer
c) though. In though the th is the buzzing sound of this; in enthralled, throne and thread it is the breathy th of thin.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with the correct options:
1. enthralled 2. furious 3. weary a. enraged b. tired c. captivated
a) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
b) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
d) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
Show answer
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b. Each word goes with a word of the same meaning: enthralled with captivated, furious with enraged, weary with tired.
Word Champ
Choose the correct word for the blank:
The magician's tricks were so amazing that the whole audience sat ___ until the very end.
a) irritated
b) embarrassed
c) enthralled
d) exhausted
Show answer
c) enthralled. An amazed audience that cannot look away is enthralled, not tired, shy or cross.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A child who is enthralled by a magic show is most likely ___.
a) chatting quietly to a friend
b) forgetting the popcorn in her lap
c) eager to leave before the end
d) fast asleep in the back row
Show answer
b) forgetting the popcorn in her lap
2. Which of these would most likely leave a cricket fan enthralled?
a) a last-ball finish
b) a lost ticket
c) a rained-off match
d) a long traffic jam
Show answer
a) a last-ball finish
