a person, especially a woman, who professes or is supposed to practice magic or sorcery; a sorceress.
This novel was about a meek businessman marrying a beautiful witch who uses her magic to help him succeed in business.
a woman who is supposed to have evil or wicked magical powers.
The movie features stereotypical witches in black robes and pointed hats.
a person who practices magic as a spiritual observance, especially as associated with neopaganism or Wicca.
She became a witch after an interest in tarot and astrology led her to classes at a local mystic shop.
an ugly or mean old woman; hag.
She was constantly in conflict with the old witch who used to own the building.
a person who uses a divining rod; dowser.
They hired a water witch to find the best location for the new well.
to bring or cause by or as if by witchcraft (often followed by into, to, etc.).
She witched him into going.
Archaic. to affect as if by witchcraft; bewitch; charm.
historically, in mythology and fiction, a woman believed to practise magic or sorcery, esp black magic
a practitioner of a Nature-based religion founded on ancient beliefs, which honours both a male and female divine principle and includes the practice of magic, esp healing magic, and divination
informal an ugly or wicked woman
a fascinating or enchanting woman
short for water witch
(tr) to cause or change by or as if by witchcraft
a less common word for bewitch
First recorded before 900; Middle English wicche, Old English wicce, feminine of wicca “wizard”; cf. wicked
A witch is a person with magical powers. Most towns have a spooky old woman with a lot of cats who all the neighborhood kids suspect of being a witch. The classic picture of a witch is a woman dressed in black with a tall, pointy hat, a broom, and an ugly face — this kind of witch is a popular Halloween costume. Another kind of witch is a serious believer in the religion called Wicca. The word witch is also used to describe someone who's old and unattractive — or, conversely, a young enchantress, a girl capable of bewitching a man.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The book beat out a story about a suburban witch by French novelist and playwright Marie NDiaye as well as Brazilian Ana Paula Maia's dystopian read about a brutal prison colony.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
Clients seek out the womb witch for a variety of reasons.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
In a statement, she denounced the process as unfair, saying the Ethics Committee "refused my new attorney's reasonable request for time to prepare my defense" and describing the proceedings as "a witch hunt."
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
Access to quality healthcare is limited in Malawi, and many turn to traditional healers and witch doctors as the first port of call for any medical or mental health problem.
From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026
Seven’s parents, Thorn’s mother, and one other witch on the council voted against sending the Gran to the Tombs.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
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.
