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 Early in Confessions, in 1977, Róisín—Lyca’s great-aunt—is enchanted by the Golden Record attached to the NASA Voyager probes, a collection of songs, voices, and nature sounds meant to explain Earth to possible alien civilizations. Mark Athitakis, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2025 Surely Swift will be able to enchant the Chiefs, hopefully propelling them another round closer to a three-peat Super Bowl win. Andrew Greif, NBC News, 19 Jan. 2025 When Venus journeys through enchanting Pisces, the love planet is in its element — gentle, dreamy and fully immersed in romantic fantasies. Valerie Mesa, People.com, 14 Jan. 2025 Snuggled between lush rainforests and the cerulean Flores Sea sits Labuan Bajo, a welcoming fishing town on enchanting Flores Island. Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for enchant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enchant
Verb
  • In 1956, an aspiring young actor named Gene Hackman joined the Pasadena Playhouse in California, struggling to find a way into a field he’d been fascinated with since childhood.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025
  • He has been fascinated by the players’ kits, wondering whether more can be done to optimise comfort and performance.
    Adam Crafton, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Her formula for entrepreneurial success also relies on the trait that many risk-taking business founders possess: embracing fear.
    Alexandra Ferreyros, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2025
  • The Sky still possess the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft in addition to a pick swap with the Connecticut Sun in 2026.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Finally, bloodsuckers from The Sims 4 Vampires can simply charm the burglar into leaving — after taking a quick sip from her, of course.
    Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Set on a slope above the village where Roger Moore lived, skied, charmed, and died, it is set on 45,000 acres overlooking a large swimming pool and a small, frozen lake.
    Rachel Johnson, airmail.news, 22 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The Athletic’s analysis spells it all out in stark fashion.
    Phil Hay, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Harris’ entry could spell bad news for the current field of Democrats, including Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, state schools chief Tony Thurmond, former state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and businessman and philanthropist Stephen Cloobeck.
    Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Instead, General Catalyst is in rapid expansion mode — trying to build the sort of diversified, fee-generating asset base that would entice Wall Street analysts to use firms like Blackstone as comps.
    Dan Primack, Axios, 28 Feb. 2025
  • But the black-and-white film about two Black couples, played by the same actors, living in Chicago during two different time periods, didn’t entice distributors.
    Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Robert Eggers’s gothic remake is coming to the streamer after a bewitching theatrical run.
    Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 22 Feb. 2025
  • Du Maurier makes good use of many of the usual tropes of the Gothic genre, especially uncanny doubling: Relentlessly and unfavorably compared to the Manderley estate’s bewitching former mistress, the nameless narrator is pushed to the brink of sanity by the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers.
    M.L. Rio, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Since 1986, Dolores and Lupe Mendez have been delighting South Siders with soul-satisfying breakfast tacos and other early-morning staples like huevos rancheros.
    Edmund Tijerina, Bon Appétit, 27 Feb. 2025
  • The players’ receptiveness to the nickname delights Liam.
    Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Cruz, 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' (2009) Woody Allen's romantic comedy stars Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson as friends who travel to Spain and are seduced by a local painter (Javier Bardem).
    Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Cookbook authors suggested preparing French food at home to seduce a lover.
    Rachel Hope Cleves / Made by History, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Enchant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enchant. Accessed 8 Mar. 2025.

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