enchant
Americanverb (used with object)
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
They couldn’t just entertain, they had to enchant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2025
Disney bought Pixar in 2006 for $7.4 billion, and with it, Pixar’s ability to enchant audiences with pixels.
From Reuters ● Oct. 28, 2023
They owned a restaurant and had no personality to enchant or interest a teenager, except that the husband was called Uncle Jim, and the wife Aunt Boy.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
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
As an image of transformational loss ushering in new forms of beauty, the pair enchants.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2023
The atmosphere inside Alexandra’s is warm and the décor is stylish, creating an aesthetic that enchants customers to stay awhile.
From Seattle Times ● May 12, 2022
A collaboration of qualities that enchants me even now.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
As a boy, Adrian is enchanted by McElwee’s filming.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 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
That doesn’t take away from the experiences they provide—movies have enchanted audiences for generations despite being only still photos.
From Slate ● May 25, 2026
That a witch had enchanted him and swept him off into the night.
From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu
Charlize Theron is appropriately enchanting as Calypso, whose charms waylay and confuse Odysseus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Something enchanting might need to occur down there for Scotland to secure what they set out to do.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
In Zilpha Keatley Snyder’s 1965 novel for young readers, a 12-year-old girl finds an enchanting refuge in a forbidding mansion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
Here, a gondolier takes you on a loop around an enchanting residential Naples Island.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2026
I am most assured you will find him every bit as enchanting as I do.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
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.
