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Synonyms

black magic

American  

noun

  1. magic used for evil purposes; witchcraft; sorcery (contrasted with white magic).


black magic British  

noun

  1. magic used for evil purposes by invoking the power of the devil

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“It was like magic the first time we sang together. Like some black magic voodoo sort of vibes,” Evan added.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

The musicians metamorphosed into their final form: Adopting the name Black Sabbath, after a low-budget Boris Karloff film of the same name, they started writing lyrics that dabbled in death, black magic and mental illness.

From BBC • Jul. 23, 2025

But nothing could recapture that old black magic.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2023

“Could it be a genie, could be black magic? We’ll never know.”

From Seattle Times • Aug. 15, 2023

Ella asked, wondering if he used the black magic oil her papa did.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

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