enchant
Americanverb (used with object)
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enchants,
present (3rd person singular)
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enchanted,
past participle, past
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enchanting
present participle
verb
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to cast a spell on; bewitch
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to delight or captivate utterly; fascinate; charm
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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enchantsimple
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enchantssimple
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have enchantedperfect
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has enchantedperfect
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am enchantingprogressive
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are enchantingprogressive
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is enchantingprogressive
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have been enchantingperfect progressive
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has been enchantingperfect progressive
Past
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enchantedsimple
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had enchantedperfect
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was enchantingprogressive
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were enchantingprogressive
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had been enchantingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of enchant
1325–75; Middle English < Anglo-French, Middle French enchanter < Latin incantāre to put a spell on; see incantation
Explanation
To enchant is to cast a spell over someone, like a witch might do. It also means to attract or catch someone's attention in a less mystical way. Enchanting has a few meanings, but they all involve seduction. A witch or warlock enchants people they wish to influence through magic spells. A real person enchants in different ways: through jokes, good looks, and charisma. Not only people, but also engrossing songs or shows can be said "to enchant."
Vocabulary lists containing enchant
The Cricket in Times Square
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A Boy Called Bat
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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.
See Examples For:
Instead, throw yourself into the music, art and theater festivals that enchant the nation all summer long.
From Barron's ● Mar. 8, 2026
He also reveals how the York sound—full, warm and resonant—continues to enchant tuba players and enthusiasts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025
The company’s video game mantra since its Nintendo Entertainment System days has been to show gaming and play as a medium full of possibilities, using world-building, competition and puzzles to enchant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2025
Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told Reuters that Moscow was not "trying to enchant anyone."
From Reuters ● Sep. 15, 2023
“Well, you can enchant a building so it’s impossible to plot on a map, can’t you?”
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
Mr. Coyne excels at chronicling the many different ways golf enchants its aficionados.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
Friends of the Lake District's land manager, Jan Darrall, said the thought of a rainforest in Cumbria "enchants and inspires people".
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026
What these stories mostly miss is what so enchants him about the film.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2025
Porter enchants me with his acoustic guitar solos, and Eslaminia captivates my imagination with her soulful recitations of the Lebanese poet’s most famous lines.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 14, 2021
That would be humiliating, because then he would show that he knows that gallantry enchants me; will he be mysterious?
From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson
The original 1998 film hardly enchanted critics upon its debut, but went on to conjure a cult following that had kept hopes of a sequel alive ever since.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
Circled by a verdant reproduction of an enchanted forest, and dressed in a black swan-like two-piece by Ann Demeulemeester, Zardoya held the audience captive with her purring soprano and vampy stare.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
“An enchanted hideaway in a coveted location with inviting outdoor retreats and peek-a-boo views to downtown Los Angeles create an idyllic setting,” the listing adds.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
At the core of “Land” is the sacred grove that enchanted Tomás and survives as a point “of confluence between our world and other worlds.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
“Empty your pockets, please. Take off anything remotely enchanted and place it in the bins at your left.”
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
Anyone who has ever watched an interview with Mr. McConaughey, or delved into his enchanting memoir “Greenlights,” is aware that listening to him gab is a treat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The overlooked museum, however, has been refreshed with an enchanting new exhibition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
Charlize Theron is appropriately enchanting as Calypso, whose charms waylay and confuse Odysseus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
The well-travelled Norwegians, who have captured the hearts and imaginations of many World Cup watchers with their enchanting celebration, were led by Haaland post-match on Sunday.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
They had enchanting voices and their singing lured sailors to their death.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions 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.
