Definition of 'charm'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense charms
, present participle charming
, past tense, past participle charmed
4. verb
If you charm your way into or out of a place or situation, you use your charm to get into or out of that place or situation.
5. verb
8.
9.
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
charm
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
Word Frequency
charm in British English 1
noun
1.
2.
a pleasing or attractive feature
3.
5.
6.
a formula or action used in casting such a spell
7. physics
an internal quantum number of certain elementary particles, used to explain some scattering experiments
8. See like a charm
verb
9.
to attract or fascinate; delight greatly
10.
to cast a magic spell on
11.
to protect, influence, or heal, supposedly by magic
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C13: from Old French charme, from Latin carmen song, incantation, from canere to sing
Word Frequency
charm in British English 2
noun
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C16: variant of chirmWord Frequency
charm in American English
noun
1.
a.
b.
the chanting of such a word, phrase, or verse
2.
any object assumed to have such power, as an amulet or talisman
3.
4.
any action or gesture assumed to have magic power
5.
a quality or feature in someone or something that attracts or delights people
6. Particle Physics
an individuating property of quarks and other elementary particles: it is expressed as a quantum number, with +1 used
of a particle that has charm (charmed particle) and 0 used of one that does not
verb transitive
7.
to act on as though by magic; seemingly cast a spell on
8.
to protect from harm as though by magic
verb intransitive
10.
to practice magic
11.
to be charming; please greatly
SIMILAR WORDS: atˈtract
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
charm in American English 1
(tʃɑːrm)
noun
1.
a power of pleasing or attracting, as through personality or beauty
charm of manner
the charm of a mountain lake
3. See charms
4.
a trinket to be worn on a bracelet, necklace, etc
5.
something worn or carried on one's person for its supposed magical effect; amulet
6.
any action supposed to have magical power
7.
the chanting or recitation of a magic verse or formula
8.
a verse or formula credited with magical power
9. Physics
a quantum number assigned the value +1 for one kind of quark, −1 for its antiquark, and 0 for all other quarks
Symbol: C Compare charmed quark transitive verb
10.
to delight or please greatly by beauty, attractiveness, etc.; enchant
She charmed us with her grace
11.
to act upon (someone or something) with or as with a compelling or magical force
to charm a bird from a tree
12.
to endow with or protect by supernatural powers
13.
to gain or influence through personal charm
He charmed a raise out of his boss
intransitive verb
SYNONYMS 1. attractiveness, allurement. 4. bauble. 5. talisman. 6. enchantment, spell. 8. spell. 10. fascinate, captivate, entrance, enrapture, ravish; allure, bewitch.14.
to be fascinating or pleasing
15.
to use charms
16.
to act as a charm
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
charmedly (ˈtʃɑːrmɪdli) adverb
charmer
noun
charmless
adjective
charmlessly
adverb
Word origin
[1250–1300; ME charme ‹ OF ‹ L carminem, acc. of carmen song, magical formula ‹ *canmen (by dissimilation), equiv. to can(ere) to sing + -men n. suffix]Word Frequency
charm in American English 2
(tʃɑːrm)
noun
Brit dialect
blended singing of birds, children, etc
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[bef. 1000; ME cherm(e), OE cerm, ceorm, var. of ci(e)rm outcry]Examples of 'charm' in a sentence
charm
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Quotations
You know what charm is: a way of getting the answer yes without having asked any clear questionThe Fall
Trends of
charm
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In other languages
charm
British English: charm
/tʃɑːm/ NOUN
Charm is the quality of being attractive and pleasant.
This classic film has lost none of its original charm.
- American English: charm /tˈʃɑrm/
- Arabic: فِتْنَة
- Brazilian Portuguese: charme
- Chinese: 魅力
- Croatian: šarm
- Czech: šarm
- Danish: charme
- Dutch: charme
- European Spanish: encanto
- Finnish: viehätysvoima
- French: charme
- German: Charme
- Greek: γοητεία
- Italian: fascino
- Japanese: 魅力
- Korean: 매력
- Norwegian: sjarm
- Polish: urok
- European Portuguese: charme
- Romanian: șarm
- Russian: шарм
- Latin American Spanish: encanto
- Swedish: charm
- Thai: เสน่ห์
- Turkish: çekim
- Ukrainian: шарм
- Vietnamese: sức quyến rũ
British English: charm
VERB /tʃɑːm/
If you charm someone, you please them, especially by using your charm.
He even charmed the my mother.
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charm
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charm
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Definition of charm from the Collins English Dictionary
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