enchant

[en-chant, -chahnt]

verb (used with object)

1. to subject to magical influence; bewitch.

   fairytales about witches who enchant handsome princes and beautiful maidens.

2. to delight to a high degree.

   Her gaiety and wit have enchanted us all.

   Synonyms: enrapture, captivate, attract, fascinate

3. to impart a magic quality or effect to.

enchant

/ ɪnˈtʃɑːnt /

verb

1. to cast a spell on; bewitch

2. to delight or captivate utterly; fascinate; charm

Other Word Forms

• unenchanted adjective
• enchanter noun
• enchantress noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of enchant¹

1325–75; Middle English < Anglo-French, Middle French enchanter < Latin incantāre to put a spell on; incantation

Word History and Origins

Origin of enchant¹

C14: from Old French enchanter, from Latin incantāre to chant a spell, from cantāre to chant, from canere to sing

Example Sentences

You can go crazy with string lights to create an enchanted tree in your backyard or adorn it with some creepy critters — snakes, bats, spiders…you name it — to amp up the scare factor.

Read more on Salon

On Broadway, her performance in For Love or Money was described by the New York Times at the time as "enchanting".

Read more on BBC

He also reveals how the York sound—full, warm and resonant—continues to enchant tuba players and enthusiasts.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In August, the high-profile couple announced they were engaged with a joint Instagram post that looked straight out of an enchanted garden.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The flying cars of “The Jetsons,” a futuristic animated sitcom that enchanted television audiences in the early 1960s, are “not a bad analogy,” Cox said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• beguile 
• bewitch 
• captivate 
• carry away 
• charm 
• enamor 
• enrapture 
• enthrall 
• entice 
• fascinate 
• gratify 
• hypnotize 
• please 
• thrill 
• wow