charm
1 Americannoun
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a power of pleasing or attracting, as through personality or beauty: the charm of a mountain lake.
charm of manner;
the charm of a mountain lake.
- Synonyms:
- allurement, attractiveness
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a trait or feature imparting this power.
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charms, attractiveness.
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a trinket to be worn on a bracelet, necklace, etc.
- Synonyms:
- bauble
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something worn or carried on one's person for its supposed magical effect; amulet.
- Synonyms:
- talisman
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any action supposed to have magical power.
- Synonyms:
- spell, enchantment
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the chanting or recitation of a magic verse or formula.
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a verse or formula credited with magical power.
- Synonyms:
- spell
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Physics. a quantum number assigned the value +1 for one kind of quark, −1 for its antiquark, and 0 for all other quarks. C
verb (used with object)
-
to delight or please greatly by beauty, attractiveness, etc.; enchant.
She charmed us with her grace.
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to act upon (someone or something) with or as with a compelling or magical force.
to charm a bird from a tree.
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to endow with or protect by supernatural powers.
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to gain or influence through personal charm.
He charmed a raise out of his boss.
verb (used without object)
-
to be fascinating or pleasing.
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to use charms.
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to act as a charm.
noun
noun
noun
-
the quality of pleasing, fascinating, or attracting people
-
a pleasing or attractive feature
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a small object worn or kept for supposed magical powers of protection; amulet; talisman
-
a trinket worn on a bracelet
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a magic spell; enchantment
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a formula or action used in casting such a spell
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physics an internal quantum number of certain elementary particles, used to explain some scattering experiments
-
perfectly; successfully
verb
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to attract or fascinate; delight greatly
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to cast a magic spell on
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to protect, influence, or heal, supposedly by magic
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(tr) to influence or obtain by personal charm
he charmed them into believing him
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One of the flavors of quarks, contributing to the charm number—a quantum number—for hadrons.
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A charmed particle is a particle that contains at least one charmed quark or charmed antiquark. The charmed quark was hypothesized to account for the longevity of the J/psi particle and to explain differences in the behavior of leptons and hadrons.
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See more at flavor
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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charmsimple
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charmssimple
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have charmedperfect
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has charmedperfect
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am charmingprogressive
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are charmingprogressive
-
is charmingprogressive
-
have been charmingperfect progressive
-
has been charmingperfect progressive
Past
-
charmedsimple
-
had charmedperfect
-
was charmingprogressive
-
were charmingprogressive
-
had been charmingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of charm1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English charme “magical verse or incantation,” from Old French, from Latin carmen “song, magical formula,” from unattested canmen (by dissimilation), equivalent to can(ere) “to sing” + -men noun suffix
Origin of charm2
First recorded in 1520–30 as cherme, dialect variant of chirm “noise, din,” perhaps associated with charm 1 ( def. ) (in the sense “chanting of a magic verse”)
Explanation
A charm is a magical spell or an object that brings luck: it's also a quality of being attractive and pleasing. To charm someone is to attract them. There are several types of charms, but they mostly relate to attraction and good luck. A lucky coin is a charm. The spell of a witch that entrances you is a charm. People with magnetic personalities, who make you want to hang out with them, have charm and are therefore considered charming. Also, to charm someone is to attract them and win them over. Popular politicians charm the masses, and teachers' pets charm their teachers.
Vocabulary lists containing charm
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 3
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Many French A-listers, drawn to the understated charm of Cap-Ferret over the glitz of the French Riviera, spend their vacations there or own homes on the peninsula.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
The bathrooms exude charm thanks to their patterned wallpapers.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Does his blokeish easy charm have the resilience for what lies ahead?
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
When news of Sam Neill’s death at the age of 78 broke earlier this week, much of the public sentiment for the late New Zealand actor revolved around his humor and charm.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
“Yup. It’s on a silly little pineapple charm, something you’d buy at a tourist shop.”
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Charlize Theron is appropriately enchanting as Calypso, whose charms waylay and confuse Odysseus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Released last week, it finds Snow Patrol at their best, with a singalong chorus that bounds over like a puppy and charms you into submission.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
The blush of first love inside the glow of new friendship is where “Girls Like Girls” works its easygoing charms, but also an affecting sadness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
A "very ordinary" bear was the first iteration of the company's now-booming plush charms, sharing a market with Chinese toymaker Pop Mart's wildly popular Labubus.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
She had found the delicate charms online, a tiny gold M and a tiny gold peach, and used the money from her old clothing boutique job to pay for them.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
Finally, the Daily Star says English football fans want US-style cheerleaders and half-time shows for the game after being charmed by the American "razzle dazzle" at the World Cup.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
That Early is so charmed by the TV movie makes perfect sense.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
But Zverev, who was handed a charmed draw through the absence of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, made the most of his chance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
But the spontaneity that charmed tourists and supported street vendors in Vietnam's capital has subsided in recent months as authorities clamp down on illegal use of footpaths.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
Whenever I told one of the stories we’d written, all the charmed folk would gather around to listen as I read, from my perch on Throne Rock.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
Upon entering the abode, guests are greeted with a charming living area with a cozy fireplace and large windows.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Mendel called Mawhinney "charming, you've got a good look", but it was a no from the comedian, calling the performance "too slow".
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
His younger brother Kenye has become a regular fixture both on and off the pitch - often featuring in Lamine Yamal's TikToks and charming fans from around the world.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The projections of period décor were charming, as was the slightly antiquated rhymed English text of the titles, but the undirected singers missed the energy of a fully realized performance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
All of this is very charming and very human.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.