bewitched

adjective be·witched \ bi-ˈwicht , bē- \

Updated on: 25 Feb 2018

Definition of bewitched

: controlled or affected by or as if by a magic spell

… as if he were not my great-grandfather at all but some mournful, bewitched old huntsman from a storybook, tongue-tied by the bad fairy, unable to speak.
—Donna Tartt

As though the ship were bewitched, from the moment they left Saybrook everything went wrong.
—Elizabeth George Speare

: influenced, attracted, or charmed as if by magic

was bewitched by her beauty

Until his death at 36, Byron continued a course of sybaritic abandon, traveling with an entourage bewitched by his escapades and terrified by his mood swings and violent temper.
—Kathryn Harrison

Recent Examples of bewitched from the Web

At the opening of Act II, set in the bewitched castle of the sorcerer Klingsor, Mr. Nézet-Séguin tore into the heaving music with searing fervor.

— anthony tommasini, New York Times, "Review: A Conductor Delivers a Magnificent ‘Parsifal’ at the Met," 6 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bewitched.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.