definitions

bewitch

[ bih-wich ]
/ bɪˈwɪtʃ /
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verb (used with object)

to affect by witchcraft or magic; cast a spell over.
to enchant; charm; fascinate: The painter bewitched the crowd with his latest work.

verb (used without object)

to cause someone to be enchanted; cast a spell over someone: She lost her power to bewitch.

RELATED WORDS

dazzle, fascinate, enthrall, captivate, hypnotize, beguile, enrapture, enchant, control, capture, entrance, slay, wow, spell, hex, draw, send, tickle, vamp, allure

Nearby words

bewigged, bewilder, bewildered, bewildering, bewilderment, bewitch, bewitched, bewitching, bewray, bexhill, bexley

Origin of bewitch

First recorded in 1175–1225, bewitch is from the Middle English word biwicchen. See be-, witch
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bewitch

British Dictionary definitions for bewitch

bewitch

/ (bɪˈwɪtʃ) /

verb (tr)

to attract and fascinate; enchant
to cast a spell over
Derived Formsbewitching, adjectivebewitchingly, adverb

Word Origin for bewitch

C13 bewicchen; see be-, witch
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for bewitch

bewitch

v.

c.1200, biwicchen, from be- + Old English wiccian "to enchant, to practice witchcraft" (see witch). Literal at first, figurative sense of "to fascinate" is from 1520s. *Bewiccian may well have existed in Old English, but it is not attested. Related: Bewitched; bewitching; bewitchingly.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper