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 Some were perplexed by its location, while others were enchanted by the simplistic nature of a home from a time long gone. Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2025 Vara, like many of her readers, is both enchanted by the web and disgusted with the companies that control it. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025 Effusive red fruit intertwined with notes of rose oil immediately enchants with fresh crunchy fruit on the palate with complex notes of asphalt and tobacco leaf that has incredible precision on the finish with a long-expression of aromatics. Cathrine Todd, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025 There were those around the program enchanted by the notion of hiring a younger coach who might fully come into his own in College Park, as Dusty May did at Michigan this year. Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for enchant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enchant
Verb
  • Noah Carrigan has always been fascinated by trucks.
    Terry Baddoo, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
  • People with autism, for example, tend to have special interests that result in in-depth knowledge or passion about a topic, says Khan, who recalls a patient fascinated by vacuums.
    Angela Haupt, Time, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The final form of the galaxy, despite the illustration here, is more likely to be a gas-rich, disk-possessing galaxy than the elliptical one shown, as only a small percentage of major mergers lead to a red-and-dead, gas-free elliptical final state.
    Big Think, Big Think, 14 Mar. 2025
  • He is charged with one count of transferring or possessing an unregistered machine gun.
    Jason Green, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Wynn-Williams was horrified by the situation, but Zuckerberg — charmed by Dzodan’s allegiance to him in the face of possible prosecution by a nation with strict internet laws — wanted to celebrate the moment with a Facebook post, Wynn-Williams says.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Consider how former WeWork CEO Adam Neumann charmed investors and employees with his vision, despite unsustainable business practices.
    Nuala Walsh, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The first came in the fifth inning, spelling the end of David Festa’s start.
    Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2025
  • This poor man gets five votes, and his name is spelled four different ways but none of them is correct.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • One reason is that in order to entice people to buy its stock, a company needs to offer potential shareholders something in return.
    Jenny Van Leeuwen Harrington, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Those touches are some of the reasons that entice fans to buy from brands.
    John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Lady Gaga’s bewitching single provided the perfect level of drama and energy to this epic showdown, with both queens leaving it all on the floor.
    Andy Swift, TVLine, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Handel’s Suite No. 5 unfurled with bewitching grace and suppleness, but Brahms’s Handel Variations suffered from abrupt accents and overstudied phrasing.
    Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The video has delighted internet users, leading to more than 621,300 views and 48,500 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Founded in 1970 by Erwin Little and his wife, Diane, the family-run business has delighted generations with its handcrafted, high-quality chocolates.
    Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The musical’s first act opens with the Moulin Rouge on the verge of closing, unless Satine can seduce a wealthy duke into becoming its patron — but for the moment, these financial woes are hidden behind the club’s glamorous veneer.
    Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Sherri Parlay, a good woman with a high libido, is seduced into murder by the beguiling heir to a dry-cleaning fortune.
    Sara Gran, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Enchant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enchant. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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