Adjacent Words

Enchant definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ENCH`ANT, v.t. [L. incanto; in and canto, to sing. See Chant and Cant.]
1. To practice sorcery or witchcraft on any thing; to give efficacy to any thing by songs of sorcery, or fascination.
And now about the cauldron sing,
Like elves and fairies in a ring,
Enchanting all that you put in.
2. To subdue by charms or spells.
3. To delight to the highest degree; to charm; to ravish with pleasure; as,the description enchants me; we were enchanted with the music.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: hold spellbound [syn: enchant, enrapture, transport, enthrall, ravish, enthral, delight] [ant: disenchant, disillusion]
2: attract; cause to be enamored; "She captured all the men's hearts" [syn: capture, enamour, trance, catch, becharm, enamor, captivate, beguile, charm, fascinate, bewitch, entrance, enchant]
3: cast a spell over someone or something; put a hex on someone or something [syn: hex, bewitch, glamour, witch, enchant, jinx]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French enchanter, from Latin incantare, from in- + cantare to sing — more at chant Date: 14th century 1. to influence by or as if by charms and incantation ; bewitch 2. to attract and move deeply ; rouse to ecstatic admiration <the scene enchanted her to the point of tears — Elinor Wylie> Synonyms: see attract

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 charm, delight. 2 bewitch. Derivatives: enchantedly adv. enchanting adj. enchantingly adv. enchantment n. Etymology: ME f. F enchanter f. L incantare (as IN-(2), canere cant- sing)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Enchant En*chant", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Enchanted; p. pr. & vb. n. Enchanting.] [F. enchanter, L. incantare to chant or utter a magic formula over or against one, to bewitch; in in, against + cantare to sing. See Chant, and cf. Incantation.] 1. To charm by sorcery; to act on by enchantment; to get control of by magical words and rites. And now about the caldron sing, Like elves and fairies in a ring, Enchanting all that you put in. --Shak. He is enchanted, cannot speak. --Tennyson. 2. To delight in a high degree; to charm; to enrapture; as, music enchants the ear. Arcadia was the charmed circle where all his spirits forever should be enchanted. --Sir P. Sidney. Syn: To charm; bewitch; fascinate. Cf. Charm.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(enchants, enchanting, enchanted) 1. If you are enchanted by someone or something, they cause you to have feelings of great delight or pleasure. Dena was enchanted by the house... She enchanted you as she has so many others. VERB: be V-ed, V n • enchanted Don't expect young children to be as enchanted with the scenery as you are. ADJ 2. In fairy stories and legends, to enchant someone or something means to put a magic spell on them. King Arthur hid his treasures here and Merlin enchanted the cave so that nobody should ever find them. ...Celtic stories of cauldrons and enchanted vessels. VERB: V n, V-ed

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Practise sorcery upon, cast a spell on, throw under a spell, bind by incantations, fascinate, bewitch, charm, practise charms upon. 2. Charm, captivate, fascinate, bewitch, enamour, win, catch, lead captive. 3. Charm, delight, enrapture, rapture, ravish, enravish, beatify, transport, fill with bliss.

Moby Thesaurus

absorb, absorb the attention, allure, arrest, attract, becharm, beguile, bewitch, captivate, carry away, cast a spell, catch, charm, delectate, delight, draw, engage, engage the attention, engage the mind, engage the thoughts, engross, engross the mind, engross the thoughts, enrapture, enravish, ensorcel, ensorcell, enthrall, entrance, exercise, fascinate, freak out, glamour, grab, grip, hex, hold, hold spellbound, hold the interest, hoodoo, hypnotize, immerse, imparadise, infatuate, intrigue, involve, involve the interest, knock dead, knock out, magic, magnetize, mesmerize, monopolize, obsess, occupy, occupy the attention, please, preoccupy, ravish, send, slay, spell, spellbind, take, take up, thrill, tickle, tickle pink, titillate, transport, vamp, voodoo, wile, witch, wow