charm 1 of 2

Definition of charmnext
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as in amulet
something worn or kept to bring good luck or keep away evil an old cap that I use as a charm for whenever I play softball

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in pendant
an ornament worn on a chain around the neck or wrist a dangling charm in the figure of a horse on her bracelet

Synonyms & Similar Words

charm

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word charm different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of charm are allure, attract, captivate, enchant, and fascinate. While all these words mean "to draw another by exerting a powerful influence," charm implies the power of casting a spell over the person or thing affected and so compelling a response, but it may, like captivate, suggest no more than evoking delight or admiration.

charmed by their hospitality
her performances captivated audiences

When could allure be used to replace charm?

Although the words allure and charm have much in common, allure implies an enticing by what is fair, pleasing, or seductive.

an alluring smile

When can attract be used instead of charm?

The words attract and charm are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, attract applies to any degree or kind of ability to exert influence over another.

students attracted by the school's locale

When might enchant be a better fit than charm?

While in some cases nearly identical to charm, 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

When would fascinate be a good substitute for charm?

The synonyms fascinate and charm are sometimes interchangeable, but fascinate suggests a magical influence and tends to stress the ineffectiveness of attempts to resist.

a story that continues to fascinate children

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of charm
Noun
The Independent Spirits These leads paved their own way with wit, charm, and a refusal to conform. Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 19 Feb. 2026 As evening approaches, head over to Beacon Hill, known for its brick sidewalks and Acorn Street’s postcard-perfect charm. Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
The 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will draw athletes and visitors to the towns in northern Italy that have been preparing for months to charm a global audience, investing in infrastructure and services to establish themselves as international destinations. Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 6 Feb. 2026 During her 2020 tour of her Hollywood home, the star of The Materialists charmed viewers with her green kitchen and fondness for a bowl of limes. Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for charm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for charm
Noun
  • Did you get picked because the amulet looked best with your outfit?
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
  • At Tel Azeka, a little girl found a 3,800-year-old amulet tied to the Canaanite people.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Lytvyn, the communications advisor, told CNN that Zelensky decided early on to make appeals for help directly to other nations, rather than just their leaders.
    Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Add in its layered history and genuinely warm service, and the appeal becomes clear.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • An Orange County Community Development District fell under the spell of Exploding Car Guy’s dirt-digging business.
    Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2026
  • All of us are under the collective spell cast by one of the most fleeting spectacles within the National Park Service.
    Stephanie Pearson, Outside, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Not the start of a joke, but instead the typical Wednesday night front row at Tory Burch, who brought together A-listers, sardine pins and pendants, colorful knits and a Dolly Parton soundtrack moment that had everyone singing along.
    Anika Reed, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
  • As with the pendant, these cameras would primarily feed data to the AI system.
    Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Systematic excavations at Pompeii began in the mid-1700s, and the site has fascinated historians and visitors ever since.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Then, there are the pesky vampirologists Theobastus Bombastus (André Jung) and Nepomuk Afterbite (Marco Lorenzini), who’ve arrived at this hotel for a vampire conference and are fascinated by Erzsébet’s legend, and my god, her gowns, too.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • An assistant under Bradley and Cherundolo, Dos Santos’ first-choice tactics will be to possess the ball, counterpress and defend as far as possible from the LAFC goal, thus dominating games while attacking more through the inside with a 4-2-3-1 formation.
    Josh Gross, Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
  • And China already possesses the world’s-largest fleet of destroyers, frigates and surface combatants.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The she-wolf—Lupa Capitolina—from the legend of Romulus and Remus is the restaurant’s talisman.
    Andrea Bennett, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Feb. 2026
  • British Vogue reported that Nicola's mother, model Claudia Heffner, added an evil eye talisman to her daughter's wedding dress, along with a message stitched in blue.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The commercial attractiveness of the World Cup, which is currently soliciting bids from potential host cites in North America and Europe, should be significantly higher.
    Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 22 Feb. 2026
  • However, worries around a decline in attractiveness and fertility weren’t strongly linked with epigenetic aging.
    Korin Miller, SELF, 16 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Charm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/charm. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.

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