Meaning & use
charm
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A pleasant, attractive quality that makes people like you or feel drawn to a person, place, or thing.
Grammar: Uncountable for the general quality: she has charm. Countable in the plural for attractions: the charms of the village.
Patterns
- the charm of something
- have charm
- a place of charm
The old fishing village has a quiet charm.
He won the interviewers over with his easy charm.
Visitors fall for the charms of the island.
nouncountable
A small object, often worn on jewelry, believed to bring luck or protect the wearer, or a spoken spell.
Grammar: Countable: a lucky charm, a charm bracelet.
Patterns
- a lucky charm
- wear a charm
She wore a silver charm on her bracelet for luck.
The team treated the old scarf as a lucky charm.
The villagers whispered a charm to keep the storm away.
verbtransitive
To please and win over someone with pleasant manners, so that they like or trust you.
Grammar: Takes an object: charm the audience. Often followed by into or out of.
Patterns
- charm someone
- charm someone into doing something
- charm something out of someone
The young singer charmed the whole audience.
He charmed his way past the guard at the door.
She charmed the shopkeeper into lowering the price.
Word forms
| plural | charms |
|---|---|
| third person singular | charms |
| past tense | charmed |
| past participle | charmed |
| -ing form | charming |
Common combinations
- natural charm
- Her natural charm made guests feel welcome.
- old-world charm
- The hotel is full of old-world charm.
- lucky charm
- He kept a coin as a lucky charm.
- turn on the charm
- When he wants a favor, he turns on the charm.
- charm offensive
- The new minister launched a charm offensive with the press.
- charm someone into
- The salesman charmed her into buying two.
Synonyms and how they differ
- appeal
- Appeal is the general power to attract interest, while charm points to a warm, pleasing manner.
- allure
- Allure suggests a stronger, slightly mysterious pull that is often romantic or tempting.
- enchant
- Enchant as a verb implies delight so strong it feels magical, more intense than charm.
- amulet
- An amulet is an object worn for protection, more serious and traditional than a lucky charm.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: charm or charisma?
charm vs charisma
Charisma is a powerful personal magnetism that inspires others, while charm is lighter and more about pleasant manners.
Practice
The tour guide's warmth and humor ___ everyone in the group.
Choose one answer.
Charmed means won over and delighted, which fits warmth and humor. Charged and chased are real verbs but do not describe pleasing people.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “charm”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.