What does thrall mean?
Thrall is an old and forceful word for a person held in slavery or bondage, especially a slave or serf. Historically, it described people who were legally or socially subject to a master, landowner, or other controlling power. In contemporary use, the literal sense is rare, but the figurative sense remains vivid: a thrall is someone so completely governed by another person, an emotion, a vice, or an ambition that ordinary self-control seems impossible. The word has an archaic, dramatic, and occasionally literary tone, so it is more expressive and severe than the more neutral terms captive, subject, or dependent. Used in phrases such as “in thrall to,” it conveys enslavement, not merely loyalty or admiration. Its historical background makes it especially memorable, linking the modern metaphor of being “mastered” by passion to the older social reality of bondage.
A person held in slavery or bondage, especially a slave or serf; by extension, a person completely subject to another person's power, influence, or passion.
"The young apprentice was little more than a thrall to the harsh master of the workshop."
To make someone a thrall; to enslave, subjugate, or reduce to complete dependence.
"The despot sought to thrall the minds of an entire nation."
Archaic, literary, and rare in modern English.
The standard plural is thralls, though the word is now chiefly used in historical or figurative contexts.
"The novel portrays the hardships endured by thralls in the ancient household."
Once a word for an enslaved person, thrall now survives most vividly for the astonishing degree to which a person or passion can master us.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of thrall
The word comes from Old English þræl, meaning a slave, servant, or bondsman, and belongs to the Germanic family of words for enslavement. Related forms appear in Old Norse þræll and in the modern Danish træl and Swedish träl. The English word's historical sense developed into the literary figurative meaning of being wholly subject to another person or to an overwhelming passion or influence.
Related word forms
How thrall is actually used
The literal historical sense is uncommon today, while the figurative sense is literary and often conveys intense, total submission rather than ordinary dependence.
Easily confused with thrall
Thrall means a person who is enslaved or completely subjected to a power or influence, whereas thrash means to beat or strike repeatedly.