enthrall

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 31, 2023 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>enthrall</strong> &#149; \in-THRAWL\&nbsp; &#149; <em>verb</em><br /> <p><em>Enthrall</em> means “to hold the attention of someone by being very exciting, interesting, or beautiful,” or in other words, “to charm.” It is often used in its <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/past%20participle">past participle</a> form, as in “I was <em>enthralled</em> by the beauty of the landscape.”</p> <p>// A captivating take on the human experience, the movie has <em>enthralled</em> audiences across the country. </p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enthrall">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>“Judy Blume's books have captivated generations of readers. Anyone who has held one of her countless paperbacks will immediately recall her name. Blume's startling honesty has comforted and <em>enthralled</em> readers for decades ...” — Casey Abline, <em>TAPinto</em> (Elizabeth, New Jersey), 23 Apr. 2023</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>The history of <em>enthrall</em> appeals far less than the word as we use it today might suggest. In Middle English, <em>enthrallen</em> meant “to deprive of privileges; to put in bondage.” <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrall"><em>Thrall</em></a> then, as now, referred to bondage or slavery. An early figurative use of <em>enthrall</em> appeared in Shakespeare’s <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/A-Midsummer-Nights-Dream-play-by-Shakespeare"><em>A Midsummer Night’s Dream</em></a>: “So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape.” But we rarely use even this sense of mental or moral control anymore. More often, the word simply suggests a state of being generally captivated or delighted by some particular thing. <em>Enthrall</em> is commonly found in its <a href="https://www