enchant

verb

en·​chant in-ˈchant 

en-

enchanted; enchanting; enchants

transitive verb

1

: to influence by or as if by charms and incantation : bewitch

2

: to attract and move deeply : rouse to ecstatic admiration

the scene enchanted her to the point of tears

—Elinor Wylie

Synonyms

• allure
• beguile
• bewitch
• captivate
• charm
• fascinate
• kill
• magnetize
• wile
• witch [archaic]

Choose the Right Synonym for enchant

attract, allure, charm, captivate, fascinate, enchant mean to draw another by exerting a powerful influence.

attract applies to any degree or kind of ability to exert influence over another.

students attracted by the school's locale

allure implies an enticing by what is fair, pleasing, or seductive.

an alluring smile

charm implies the power of casting a spell over the person or thing affected and so compelling a response

charmed by their hospitality

, but it may, like captivate, suggest no more than evoking delight or admiration.

her performances captivated audiences

fascinate suggests a magical influence and tends to stress the ineffectiveness of attempts to resist.

a story that continues to fascinate children

enchant is perhaps the strongest of these terms in stressing the appeal of the agent and the degree of delight evoked in the subject.

hopelessly enchanted by her beauty

Examples of enchant in a Sentence

The book has enchanted children for almost a century.

The beauty of the place enchants.

Recent Examples on the Web

Wolfgang Petersen's poignant take on The NeverEnding Story might slightly lack the depth and sophistication of its source material — Michael Ende's expansive fantasy novel — but the result is still enchanting escapism, with effects and tricks that hold up pretty well. —Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 10 May 2025

This enchanting Moroccan city is ready for its close-up. —Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 8 May 2025

This variety enchants the autumn garden with long lasting rose-pink, double blooms in mid-autumn. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 May 2025

Others, many of them kids enchanted by this new trilogy of sci-fi adventures, were excited to return to Lucas’s extravagant universe. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French enchanter, from Latin incantare, from in- + cantare to sing — more at chant

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for enchant

• decant
• descant
• eggplant
• explant
• implant
• preplant
• recant
• replant
• secant
• supplant
• transplant
• ant

Kids Definition

enchant

verb

en·​chant in-ˈchant 

1

: to influence by charms and magic : bewitch

2

: thrill entry 1 sense 1, fascinate