DUENDE Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

duende

noun

dü-ˈen-(ˌ)dā

Definition of duende

as in appeal

the power of irresistible attraction even as a child, she had an unmistakable duende that attracted the attention of passersby

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 duende That involved the special forces paying due heed to Indigenous cosmology which suggested a malign shapeshifting being known as a duende was conspiring to hide the children from their would-be rescuers. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025 In some of its most memorable reporting, former host Maria Celeste Arrarás and the team of reporters shared stories of duendes lurking in trees in Central America, brujas voladoras captured on camera by a shaky camcorder, and UFO or alien sightings. — Alex Zaragoza, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023 Charisma, class, and style all have something to do with duende. — Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 3 Sep. 2021 Which means that, for a dancer, duende is not only a mystical inspiration. — Jennifer Homans, The New Yorker, 30 Dec. 2019 Krug is no Orr, because no one can recreate that time, that talent that duende, but the winning rush was of near-No. — BostonGlobe.com, 23 Nov. 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for duende

Noun

Big business interests like building owners, developers and the property tax attorneys that file appeals for both lined up with Hynes, who convinced party officials to endorse him over the summer.

— A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
Before that, Gooden was an appellate attorney who handled hundreds of appeals.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of appeal

Noun

Fit Check of the Week Tim Burton, iconoclast filmmaker extraordinaire, has a new capsule with Loewe, which has recreated characters and vignettes from The Nightmare Before Christmas as bags and charms.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 5 Nov. 2026
Once a favorite emerging market for foreign investors, Indian equities have been losing their charm.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of charm

Noun

Firstman is recognized by a musclebound music producer dining nearby with a woman of equitable attractiveness.

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 4 Nov. 2026
Anwar is trying to highlight Malaysia’s attractiveness to tech and AI companies, in particular by highlighting the country as a neutral and non-aligned home for investment.

— Jay Ganglani, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of attractiveness

Noun

More and more chefs are serving regional specialties of their hometowns and maintaining Thai food’s great balancing act between the spice, acid, salt, sweetness, and umami, while incorporating their own signature flair.

— Ali Domrongchai, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Nov. 2026
Bold from brown butter and balsamic vinegar and bright from lemon, the crunchy topping is an excellent foil to the sweetness of roasted squash.

— Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of sweetness

Noun

The cold open was framed as a ride through a budget Halloween haunted attraction, with Grace Reiter and Jeremy Culhane as a couple on a date and Kenan Thompson as a Grim Reaper guide.

— Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2026
The big attractions are the abundance of alligators and, for the luckiest visitors, a river otter or even a bobcat — and the birds.

— Deborah Green, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of attraction

Browse Nearby Words

duels

duende

duenna

See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

Style

“Duende.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duende. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of duende

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

defer

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes