charm
1 Americannoun
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a power of pleasing or attracting, as through personality or beauty: the charm of a mountain lake.
charm of manner;
the charm of a mountain lake.
- Synonyms:
- allurement, attractiveness
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a trait or feature imparting this power.
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charms, attractiveness.
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a trinket to be worn on a bracelet, necklace, etc.
- Synonyms:
- bauble
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something worn or carried on one's person for its supposed magical effect; amulet.
- Synonyms:
- talisman
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any action supposed to have magical power.
- Synonyms:
- spell, enchantment
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the chanting or recitation of a magic verse or formula.
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a verse or formula credited with magical power.
- Synonyms:
- spell
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Physics. a quantum number assigned the value +1 for one kind of quark, −1 for its antiquark, and 0 for all other quarks. C
verb (used with object)
-
to delight or please greatly by beauty, attractiveness, etc.; enchant.
She charmed us with her grace.
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to act upon (someone or something) with or as with a compelling or magical force.
to charm a bird from a tree.
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to endow with or protect by supernatural powers.
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to gain or influence through personal charm.
He charmed a raise out of his boss.
verb (used without object)
-
to be fascinating or pleasing.
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to use charms.
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to act as a charm.
noun
noun
noun
-
the quality of pleasing, fascinating, or attracting people
-
a pleasing or attractive feature
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a small object worn or kept for supposed magical powers of protection; amulet; talisman
-
a trinket worn on a bracelet
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a magic spell; enchantment
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a formula or action used in casting such a spell
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physics an internal quantum number of certain elementary particles, used to explain some scattering experiments
-
perfectly; successfully
verb
-
to attract or fascinate; delight greatly
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to cast a magic spell on
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to protect, influence, or heal, supposedly by magic
-
(tr) to influence or obtain by personal charm
he charmed them into believing him
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One of the flavors of quarks, contributing to the charm number—a quantum number—for hadrons.
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A charmed particle is a particle that contains at least one charmed quark or charmed antiquark. The charmed quark was hypothesized to account for the longevity of the J/psi particle and to explain differences in the behavior of leptons and hadrons.
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See more at flavor
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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charmsimple
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charmssimple
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have charmedperfect
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has charmedperfect
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am charmingprogressive
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are charmingprogressive
-
is charmingprogressive
-
have been charmingperfect progressive
-
has been charmingperfect progressive
Past
-
charmedsimple
-
had charmedperfect
-
was charmingprogressive
-
were charmingprogressive
-
had been charmingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of charm1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English charme “magical verse or incantation,” from Old French, from Latin carmen “song, magical formula,” from unattested canmen (by dissimilation), equivalent to can(ere) “to sing” + -men noun suffix
Origin of charm2
First recorded in 1520–30 as cherme, dialect variant of chirm “noise, din,” perhaps associated with charm 1 ( def. ) (in the sense “chanting of a magic verse”)
Explanation
A charm is a magical spell or an object that brings luck: it's also a quality of being attractive and pleasing. To charm someone is to attract them. There are several types of charms, but they mostly relate to attraction and good luck. A lucky coin is a charm. The spell of a witch that entrances you is a charm. People with magnetic personalities, who make you want to hang out with them, have charm and are therefore considered charming. Also, to charm someone is to attract them and win them over. Popular politicians charm the masses, and teachers' pets charm their teachers.
Vocabulary lists containing charm
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 3
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 8
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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:
Do not worry about making them perfectly uniform; their slightly tousled edges are part of the charm.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Does his blokeish easy charm have the resilience for what lies ahead?
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
"Women should think twice before succumbing to the charm of all these Instagram beauties and going under the knife."
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Yet Dean brought a fresh, easy-wearing charm to singles such as the Hot 100 smash “Man I Need,” a Whitney Houston-caliber banger that heralded an artfully emotive record.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
“Oh, it’s relevant, all right. See, that charm was special. What could it do again? Oh yeah. As long as I wore it, I could see through any illusions. Pretty useful, right?”
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
Thyme and honey belong to a mutual admiration society, as do berries and buttermilk; the woodiness of the herb plays beautifully against tangy yogurt, while orange zest somehow charms the entire table.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
It will be adding spots on the sales floor that store managers can use to feature products such as charms, markers or party favors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
A "very ordinary" bear was the first iteration of the company's now-booming plush charms, sharing a market with Chinese toymaker Pop Mart's wildly popular Labubus.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
He charms the staff with his knowledge of these obscure machines – pointing out the bellows that power a church organ, and the pneumatic underpinnings of a piano roll player.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
When last seen, she was sitting at the gate, watching the butcher’s cart, and it is feared that some villain, tempted by her charms, basely stole her.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
Josh Grisetti, the Broadway actor who charmed audiences with roles in “Something Rotten!” and TV’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” has died, a family member confirmed to The Times on Monday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
He charmed investors with his sense of humor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
Finally, the Daily Star says English football fans want US-style cheerleaders and half-time shows for the game after being charmed by the American "razzle dazzle" at the World Cup.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
That Early is so charmed by the TV movie makes perfect sense.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
She liked the airiness of the living room, with its large windows, and the narrow flight of stairs that led to a tiny verandah charmed her, but, most of all, it was in Ikoyi.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
From The Long Walk, where he's such a sort of charming and charismatic character, to Rye Lane, where there's a sort of emotional vulnerability to the character.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Upon entering the abode, guests are greeted with a charming living area with a cozy fireplace and large windows.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Mendel called Mawhinney "charming, you've got a good look", but it was a no from the comedian, calling the performance "too slow".
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
The projections of period décor were charming, as was the slightly antiquated rhymed English text of the titles, but the undirected singers missed the energy of a fully realized performance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
“What a charming amusement for young people this is, Mr. Darcy! There is nothing like dancing after all. I consider it as one of the first refinements of polished societies.”
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
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.
