Meaning & use
charmer
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person who is pleasant and attractive and good at making others like them.
Grammar: Countable: 'a charmer', 'two charmers'. Often used of men.
Patterns
- a real charmer
- a bit of a charmer
- be a charmer
Her little brother is a real charmer; everyone smiles at him.
He can talk his way out of anything — he's a charmer.
The salesman was a charmer, but I didn't trust him.
nouncountabledisapproving
A person who uses flattery or smooth talk to get what they want, often not sincerely.
Grammar: Countable; often with a disapproving tone: 'He's a smooth charmer.'
Patterns
- a smooth charmer
- a snake charmer
Don't be fooled by that charmer; he's after your money.
She called him a charmer, but her smile was cold.
Word forms
| plural | charmers |
|---|
Common combinations
- a real charmer
- The puppy was a real charmer and found a home quickly.
- a bit of a charmer
- He's a bit of a charmer, so watch out.
- smooth charmer
- The politician was a smooth charmer on camera.
- snake charmer
- In the market, a snake charmer played a flute.
Synonyms and how they differ
- charismatic person
- More neutral and formal; 'charmer' often suggests playful or manipulative charm.
- flatterer
- Focuses on insincere praise; a charmer may charm in other ways too.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: charmer or charmer?
charmer vs charmer
Do not confuse with 'charmer' and 'charmer' — the spelling is with 'charm', not 'charma'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'charmer' most naturally?
Choose one answer.
A singular countable noun needs an article: 'a charmer'. Without 'a', it is ungrammatical; the third option is not a natural pattern; and 'charming' is an adjective, not a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “charmer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.