charming

UK: /ˈtʃɑː^rmɪŋ/ US: (chär′ming)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

charm•ing  (chär′ming), adj. 

1. pleasing;
   delightful:
   a charming child.
2. using charm;
   exercising magic power.

• 1250–1300; Middle English; see charm¹, -ing²

charm′ing•ly, adv. 
charm′ing•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. . lovely, winning, winsome, engaging.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

charming / ˈtʃɑːmɪŋ/ adjective

1. delightful; pleasant; attractive

ˈcharmingly adverb

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

charm /tʃɑrm/   n. 

1. a power of pleasing, as through beauty:
   [uncountable] The child actress displayed a lot of charm.
   [countable] She used all her charms on him.
2. Jewelry a small ornament or trinket to be worn on a bracelet, necklace, etc.:
   [countable] Many charms dangled from her bracelet.
3. [countable]
   • something worn or carried on one's person to bring good luck;
     amulet.
   • words or chants that are said or sung to do this.
4. Physics [uncountable] one of the properties of a quark.

v. [~ + object]

5. to delight or please greatly by attractiveness:
   He charmed teachers and students alike. I was charmed to be asked to serve as president.

charm•er, n. [countable]
charm•ing, adj. 
charm•ing•ly, adv. 
Related Words

charm is a noun and a verb, charming is an adjective:
He is a man of great charm. He charmed them into letting him stay. She is a charming young lady.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

charm¹  (chärm), n. 

1. a power of pleasing or attracting, as through personality or beauty:
   charm of manner; the charm of a mountain lake.
2. a trait or feature imparting this power.
3. charms, attractiveness.
4. Jewelry 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 Cf. charmed quark. 

v.t. 

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.

v.i. 

14. to be fascinating or pleasing.
15. to use charms.
16. to act as a charm.

• *canmen (by dissimilation), equivalent. to can(ere) to sing + -men noun, nominal suffix
• Latin carminem, accusative of carmen song, magical formula
• Old French
• Middle English charme 1250–1300

charm•ed•ly  (chär′mid lē), adv.  charm′er, n. 
charm′less, adj. 
charm′less•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. attractiveness, allurement.
• 4. bauble.
• 5. talisman.
• 6. enchantment, spell.
• 8. spell.
• 10. fascinate, captivate, entrance, enrapture, ravish; allure, bewitch.

charm²  (chärm), n. [Brit. Dial.]

1. British Terms blended singing of birds, children, etc.

• Middle English cherm(e), Old English cerm, ceorm, variant of ci(e)rm outcry bef. 1000

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

charm / tʃɑːm/ noun

1. the quality of pleasing, fascinating, or attracting people
2. a pleasing or attractive feature
3. a small object worn or kept for supposed magical powers of protection; amulet; talisman
4. a trinket worn on a bracelet
5. a magic spell; enchantment
6. a formula or action used in casting such a spell
7. an internal quantum number of certain elementary particles, used to explain some scattering experiments
8. like a charm ⇒ perfectly; successfully

verb

1. to attract or fascinate; delight greatly
2. to cast a magic spell on
3. to protect, influence, or heal, supposedly by magic
4. (transitive) to influence or obtain by personal charm

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French charme, from Latin carmen song, incantation, from canere to sing