Standard Lemma guide

bewitch

verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /bəˈwɪt͡ʃ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪtʃ
  • CMU ARPABET: B IH0 W IH1 CH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To cast a spell upon.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: beglammer, bespell, witch, bechat, becry, bewitch, conjure, enchant, englamour, ensorcell, enspell, forspeak, glamour, hex, jinx, maleficiate, mojo, spell, spellbind, spellcast

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To fascinate or charm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • I was bewitched by the sight of the girl dancing in the forest.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: enthrall, forspeak, hypnotize, allure, arrest, attract, becharm, beguile, bewitch, beckon, captivate, charm, court, delight, draw, effascinate, enchant, engage, entrance, enrapture, fascinate, interest, intrigue, mesmerize, pull, pull in, seduce, sirenize, spellbind, tempt, tole

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To astonish, amaze.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: rare, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: astound, wow, amaze, astonish, bewitch, surprise

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

cast a spell over someone or something; put a hex on someone or something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hex, glamour, witch, enchant, jinx

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: charm, becharm

Narrower terms: voodoo, spell

5

verb

Meaning 5

attract strongly, as if with a magnet

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She magnetized the audience with her tricks

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: magnetize, mesmerize, mesmerise, magnetise, spellbind

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: charm, influence, tempt

6

verb

Meaning 6

attract; cause to be enamored

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She captured all the men's hearts

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: capture, enamour, trance, catch, becharm, enamor, captivate, beguile, charm, fascinate, entrance, enchant

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: attract, appeal

Narrower terms: hold, work

History

Etymology

From Middle English bewicchen, bewycchen, biwicchen, equivalent to be- + witch.

Across languages

Translations

104 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: ysht — to cast a spell upon
  • Albanian: mësysh — to cast a spell upon
  • Asturian: abruxar — to cast a spell upon
  • Azerbaijani: ovsunlamaq — to cast a spell upon
  • Belarusian: зачаро́ўваць (začarówvacʹ) — to cast a spell upon
  • Belarusian: зачарава́ць (začaravácʹ) — to cast a spell upon
  • Bulgarian: омайвам (omajvam) — to cast a spell upon
  • Bulgarian: омагьосвам (omagjosvam) — to cast a spell upon
  • Catalan: embruixar — to cast a spell upon
  • Cherokee: ᎦᏁᎫᏗᎠ (ganegudia) — to cast a spell upon
  • Chichewa: kuchísa — to cast a spell upon
  • Chichewa: kulódza — to cast a spell upon
  • Czech: očarovat — to cast a spell upon
  • Czech: začarovat — to cast a spell upon
  • Czech: uhranout — to cast a spell upon
  • Czech: zaklít — to cast a spell upon
  • Czech: okouzlit — to cast a spell upon
  • Czech: učarovat — to cast a spell upon
  • Danish: forhekse — to cast a spell upon
  • Danish: fortrylle — to cast a spell upon
  • Dutch: betoveren — to cast a spell upon
  • Esperanto: sorĉi — to cast a spell upon
  • Finnish: noitua — to cast a spell upon
  • French: ensorceler — to cast a spell upon
  • French: envoûter — to cast a spell upon
  • Galician: enfeitizar — to cast a spell upon
  • Galician: enmeigar — to cast a spell upon
  • Galician: galar — to cast a spell upon
  • Galician: embruxar — to cast a spell upon
  • German: verhexen — to cast a spell upon
  • Ancient Greek: βασκαίνω (baskaínō) — to cast a spell upon
  • Gungu: kuloga — to cast a spell upon
  • Hungarian: megbabonáz — to cast a spell upon
  • Ingrian: noitia — to cast a spell upon
  • Ingrian: noitua — to cast a spell upon
  • Italian: stregare — to cast a spell upon
  • Italian: incantare — to cast a spell upon
  • Kabwa: okuroga — to cast a spell upon
  • Latin: fascino — to cast a spell upon
  • Latin: effascino — to cast a spell upon
  • Latin: incanto — to cast a spell upon
  • Low German: betövern — to cast a spell upon
  • Low German: vertövern — to cast a spell upon
  • Macedonian: маѓепса (maǵepsa) — to cast a spell upon
  • Malawi Lomwe: ollowa — to cast a spell upon
  • Māori: mākutu — to cast a spell upon
  • Māori: whaiwhaiā — to cast a spell upon
  • Māori: whaiā — to cast a spell upon
  • Māori: whitihoro — to cast a spell upon
  • Norman: enchorchéler — to cast a spell upon
  • Norman: entchéthaûder — to cast a spell upon
  • Norwegian Bokmål: forhekse — to cast a spell upon
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: forhekse — to cast a spell upon
  • Nyole (Uganda): ohuloga — to cast a spell upon
  • Polish: zaczarowywać — to cast a spell upon
  • Polish: zaczarować — to cast a spell upon
  • Portuguese: enfeitiçar — to cast a spell upon
  • Quechua: layqay — to cast a spell upon
  • Romanian: vrăji — to cast a spell upon
  • Romanian: fermeca — to cast a spell upon
  • Romanian: fascina — to cast a spell upon
  • Russian: околдо́вывать (okoldóvyvatʹ) — to cast a spell upon
  • Russian: околдова́ть (okoldovátʹ) — to cast a spell upon
  • Russian: зачаро́вывать (začaróvyvatʹ) — to cast a spell upon
  • Russian: зачарова́ть (začarovátʹ) — to cast a spell upon
  • Rwanda-Rundi: kuroga — to cast a spell upon
  • Scots: witch — to cast a spell upon
  • Scots: forspeak — to cast a spell upon
  • Scots: vaum — to cast a spell upon
  • Scots: hex — to cast a spell upon
  • Scots: glamour — to cast a spell upon
  • Scots: beglamour — to cast a spell upon
  • Scots: blink — to cast a spell upon
  • Serbo-Croatian: зачарати — to cast a spell upon
  • Serbo-Croatian: уклети — to cast a spell upon
  • Serbo-Croatian: začarati — to cast a spell upon
  • Serbo-Croatian: ukleti — to cast a spell upon
  • Spanish: hechizar — to cast a spell upon
  • Spanish: embrujar — to cast a spell upon
  • Swahili: kuroga — to cast a spell upon
  • Swedish: förhäxa — to cast a spell upon
  • Talinga-Bwisi: kulogha — to cast a spell upon
  • Tocharian B: yānk- — to cast a spell upon
  • Tumbuka: kulowa — to cast a spell upon
  • Turkish: büyülemek — to cast a spell upon
  • Turkish: büyü yapmak — to cast a spell upon
  • Ukrainian: зачаровува́ти (začarovuváty) — to cast a spell upon
  • Ukrainian: зачарува́ти (začaruváty) — to cast a spell upon
  • Volapük: bemagivön — to cast a spell upon
  • Yao (Africa): kuloga — to cast a spell upon
  • ǃXóõ: gǁxài — to cast a spell upon
  • Galician: enfeitizar — fascinate, charm
  • Galician: embruxar — fascinate, charm
  • Ancient Greek: κηλέω (kēléō) — fascinate, charm
  • Ancient Greek: θέλγω (thélgō) — fascinate, charm
  • Latin: fascino — fascinate, charm
  • Southern Ohlone: aami — fascinate, charm
  • Polish: oczarowywać — fascinate, charm
  • Polish: oczarować — fascinate, charm
  • Polish: zauroczyć — fascinate, charm
  • Russian: оба́ивать (obáivatʹ) — fascinate, charm
  • Russian: обая́ть (obajátʹ) — fascinate, charm
  • Swedish: förhäxa — fascinate, charm
  • Turkish: büyülemek — fascinate, charm