adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of charming
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; charm 1 + -ing 2
Explanation
Something charming is usually pleasing or delightful. More rarely, it can be something supernatural. Charms are magical objects and something charming puts you under its spell. In most cases, we mean that only figuratively — if you spent a charming evening with friends, it means their company was so wonderful it was almost enchanting. Charming people have a special, almost magical way of making others like them. But if you're talking about a charming witch, you better watch out for her sorcery and magic tricks.
Vocabulary lists containing charming
Positive Words to Describe a Person
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Positive Words to Describe People, List 1
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Real Nice!
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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.
By the end of the book, she has a full-time reporting job at the Dallas Morning News; a garden she exults in cultivating; and a charming, fluffy gray cat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
“I think really what’s important is that everybody who is working at the hotel is personable, is friendly, is charming and genuinely interested in being helpful,” Schrager said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
Holly Madison remembers the exact moment she first saw her charming Hollywoodland tudor.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
Jerry Hall also won viewers over with her charming eccentricity.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
I was the first to admit that screechers weren’t exactly charming.
From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
