enchant

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of enchant are allure, attract, captivate, charm, and fascinate. While all these words mean "to draw another by exerting a powerful influence," 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

Where would allure be a reasonable alternative to enchant?

The synonyms allure and enchant are sometimes interchangeable, but allure implies an enticing by what is fair, pleasing, or seductive.

an alluring smile

When is attract a more appropriate choice than enchant?

The meanings of attract and enchant largely overlap; however, attract applies to any degree or kind of ability to exert influence over another.

students attracted by the school's locale

How do charm and captivate relate to one another, in the sense of enchant?

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

In what contexts can fascinate take the place of enchant?

The words fascinate and enchant are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 enchant The northern lights have enchanted people for millennia, and the Yukon and Northwest Territories are both fantastic places to see it, thanks to their sparse populations, low levels of light pollution, and northerly locations. Lola Augustine Brown, AFAR Media, 21 Aug. 2025 Zero shots in the first half did not enchant a Villa Park crowd that is normally in thrall to this Emery vintage. Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025 Pamela Anderson Is Quietly Revolutionary in The Naked Gun Running into walls Speaking of femme fatales, Pamela Anderson isn’t the first woman to enchant a Drebin to walk headfirst into a wall. Barry Levitt, Time, 1 Aug. 2025 After enchanting audiences as Evie in the Descendants franchise (2015–2021), Carson has become one of Netflix's go-to heartbreakers. Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 1 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for enchant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enchant
Verb
  • But the idea has always fascinated him.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
  • So that image has always fascinated me.
    Maria Reva September 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Folklore portrays them as menacing figures lurking in the darkness who can possess those who wander too far from home.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Routh was convicted in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 2002 for possessing an explosive device.
    Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Cinephiles will be charmed, and writers and directors will recognize Linklater’s chops.
    Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Del Toro has charmed the Lido before, winning the festival’s top prize, the Golden Lion, with 2017’s The Shape of Water, which ultimately went on to scoop four Oscars, including Best Picture and Director.
    Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Anticipating this risk and planning ahead can spell the difference between a manageable expense and an unexpected hit to the bottom line.
    Aleksandra Bal, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • That spells disaster, says Douglas Webber, emeritus professor of political science at the international business school lNSEAD, south of Paris.
    Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • There are tons of enticing cold and hot drinks.
    Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Responding to the demand, and hoping to entice younger shoppers into their financial ecosystems, payment facilitators such as Cash App, the BNPL provider Klarna, the fintech bank Chime, and even American Express have recently launched their own debit cards.
    Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Such is the expectancy around Arsenal now, a 1-0 loss to a bewitching free kick, the kind of sudden inspiration that decides a close and claustrophobic game, hit the team hard.
    Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2025
  • The global contemporary art world came calling to New Orleans for Prospect and left bewitched.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • It’s left supporters on Capitol Hill delighted, frustrated, or wondering what’s next.
    Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Monteverde’s cloud forest is a haven for nature lovers, with canopy walks and wildlife encounters that will delight young and old alike.
    Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The dramatic irony, of course, is that Julia did seduce Lovat and is now trying to take advantage of a precedent set by Davina with her own son, but Julia still ends up appealing to Davina’s better angels.
    Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Either way, the intention is to transport, and to seduce, as with fine music.
    Douglas Unger August 29, Literary Hub, 29 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Enchant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enchant. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on enchant

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