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View synonyms for thrall

thrall

[ thrawl ]

noun

  1. a person who is morally or mentally enslaved by some power, influence, or the like:

    He was the thrall of morbid fantasies.

  2. a person held in bondage or slavery.
  3. the condition of being in the power of something or someone; a state of subjugation or rapt absorption:

    We will receive no help from the media, who are for the most part in thrall to the political establishment.



verb (used with object)

  1. Archaic. to put or hold in thralldom; enslave.

adjective

  1. Archaic. subjected to bondage; enslaved.

thrall

/ θrɔːl /

noun

  1. Also calledthraldomUSthralldomˈθrɔːldəm the state or condition of being in the power of another person
  2. a person who is in such a state
  3. a person totally subject to some need, desire, appetite, etc


verb

  1. tr to enslave or dominate

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Other Words From

  • un·thralled adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of thrall1

First recorded before 950; Middle English thral, thral(l)e, threl(l)e, Old English thrǣl “bondman, slave, servant, thrall,” from Old Norse thrǣll “slave, servant”

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Word History and Origins

Origin of thrall1

Old English thrǣl slave, from Old Norse thrǣll

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Example Sentences

With all those dead pine trees in thrall to wildfire, the Sierra, transmuted into ash, is right outside our door.

It is the process by which rock stars gain priest-like powers over massive congregations while putting the congregants into ever greater thrall.

Although the characters are in the thrall of big emotions — anger, desperation, repression and guilt — the words they use to articulate their feelings are fairly drab.

Now both are in thrall to a base that has been encouraged to reject the simplest defensive measures.

It’s a showdown that would have me in thrall even if the venue were some meaningless, late summer meet in Europe.

They are an elusive bunch, in motion or in the thrall of another time.

The sheikh is ready to flee if the Lebanese security forces, considered to be in thrall to Hezbollah, make a move to arrest him.

Most natives speak Russian as their first language, and are more in thrall to Russian culture than Ukrainian.

Nathan Thrall, from the International Crisis Group, is even more skeptical.

Thrall is right to imply that the Olmert-Abbas principles were a only start and there is no guarantee that starting is succeeding.

Then the Earl departed and a thrall of his named Kark bore him company.

Thereupon dug the thrall a large ditch in the sty & carried away the earth, and afterwards placed wood across it.

But bad fortune overtook Mr. Croker and the eighteen who then held him in partial thrall.

Well had he said to himself that night in May: "La belle Dame sans mercy hath thee in thrall."

The Teutonic race had a myth which explained the origin of the classes eorl, ceorl and thrall (earl, churl and slave).

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Thralethralldom