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 Europeans were enchanted by the expressive fluency that the New York critics had considered vulgar. David Denby, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025 Wolfgang Petersen's poignant take on The NeverEnding Story might slightly lack the depth and sophistication of its source material — Michael Ende's expansive fantasy novel — but the result is still enchanting escapism, with effects and tricks that hold up pretty well. Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 10 May 2025 This enchanting Moroccan city is ready for its close-up. Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 8 May 2025 This variety enchants the autumn garden with long lasting rose-pink, double blooms in mid-autumn. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for enchant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enchant
Verb
  • The bear — maybe fascinated by flying soot or maybe out of pure cussedness — had taken a fiendish delight in batting lengths of stovepipe around.
    Ted Updike, Outdoor Life, 22 May 2025
  • Written by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Scott Armstrong, the first-ever inside account of the Supreme Court fascinated her.
    Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • The re-tasking of U.S. naval ships assigned to the western Pacific theater comes as China—now possessing the world's largest navy by hull count, with more than 370 vessels—expands its military reach and presence in the region, attempting to challenge American naval dominance.
    Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
  • Today, Rotterdam possesses one of Europe’s most robust migrant populations.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • Moore's Michaela is mysterious, commanding, and beyond wealthy, described in the trailer and elsewhere as someone with the ability to charm into subservience.
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 22 May 2025
  • Viewers on TikTok were charmed by the emotional reunion.
    Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • Extreme weather linked to climate change could spell financial ruin for many American homeowners and lead to billions in losses for lenders, a new study finds.
    Alain Sherter, CBS News, 19 May 2025
  • There’s no scoreboard, nor a need to repeatedly spell things out.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • The Navy also has spent considerably more than the others to entice sailors to reenlist, doling out retention bonuses to roughly 70,000 service members for each of the past three years.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 May 2025
  • Duffy recently announced a sweeping program to upgrade the agency's technology infrastructure, as well as hiring incentives to entice more would-be air traffic controllers.
    Zach Wichter, USA Today, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • Emma Corrin, Jack Lowden and Olivia Colman have bewitched the Netflix casting directors, body and soul.
    Rebecca Luther, TVLine, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Those moments, perhaps more than anything else, can bewitch one's body and soul.
    Sharareh Drury, People.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • This has delighted Cruise's fans online, who can't stop posting about Cruise's love for a buttery tub.
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 22 May 2025
  • With more than 155,000 upvotes on TikTok, Milo's inclusion in his owner's daily prayers delighted internet users.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • Sirens is smartest when paralleling the entitlement of 21st century American wealth with Ancient Greek divinity, skewering the insularity and entitlement of these modern plutocrats who throw galas to honor themselves and to torment or seduce the mortals who are their employees and playthings.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2025
  • This would suck capital investment back to America in a nanosecond and financially seduce companies to reshore factories, labs and headquarters back here with bargain-low tax rates.
    Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 14 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Enchant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enchant. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

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