thrall
pronunciation
How to pronounce thrall in British English:
UK [θrɔ:l]
How to pronounce thrall in American English:
US [θrɔl]
-
- Noun:
- the state of being under the control of another person
- someone held in bondage
Word Origin
- thrall (n.)
- late Old English þræl "bondman, serf, slave," from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse þræll "slave, servant," figuratively "wretch, scoundrel," probably from Proto-Germanic *thrakhilaz, literally "runner," from root *threh- "to run" (cognates: Old High German dregil "servant," properly "runner;" Old English þrægan, Gothic þragjan "to run"). Meaning "condition of servitude" is from early 14c.
Example
- 1. Even the government seems to be in their thrall .
- 2. For the past two years most policy makers in europe and many politicians and pundits in america have been in thrall to a destructive economic doctrine .
- 3. He is clearly in thrall to the technology and keen to demonstrate its wonders .
- 4. Today the long-dead economist is keynes , and it is professors of economics , not practical men , who are in thrall to his ideas .
- 5. He laments that these leaders are still in thrall to financial markets and international business , and he is appalled by what he sees as a collective instinct to try to repair a failing system rather than change it .