- The power or quality of pleasing or delighting; attractiveness: a breezy tropical setting of great charm.
- A particular quality that attracts; a delightful characteristic: A mischievous grin was among the child's many charms.
- A small ornament, such as one worn on a bracelet.
- An item worn for its supposed magical benefit, as in warding off evil; an amulet.
- An action or formula thought to have magical power.
- The chanting of a magic word or verse; incantation.
- Physics. A quantum property of the charm quark whose conservation explains the absence of certain strange-particle decay modes and that accounts for the longevity of the J particle.
v., charmed, charm·ing, charms. v.tr.
- To attract or delight greatly: the simple elegance of the meal charmed the guests.
- To induce by using strong personal attractiveness: charmed the guard into admitting them without invitations.
- To cast or seem to cast a spell on; bewitch.
- To be alluring or pleasing.
- To function as an amulet or charm.
- To use magic spells.
[Middle English charme, magic spell, from Old French, from Latin carmen, incantation.]
charmingly charm'ing·ly adv.charmless charm'less adj.
SYNONYMS charm, beguile, bewitch, captivate, enchant, entrance, fascinate. These verbs mean to attract strongly or irresistibly: manners that charmed the old curmudgeon; delicacies that beguile even the most discerning gourmet; a performance that bewitched the audience; a novel that captivates its readers; a child who enchanted his grandparents; music that entrances its listeners; a celebrity who fascinated his interviewer.
ANTONYM repel
