witch

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.

• wĭch
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• /wɪt͡ʃ/
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• US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -ɪtʃ
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• homophone: which (wine–whine merger)
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• homophone: wich
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• homophone: wych
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• CMU ARPABET: W IH1 CH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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Etymology tree Old English wiċċe Proto-Germanic *wikkōną Proto-West Germanic *wikkōn Proto-Indo-European *-ō Proto-Germanic *-ô Proto-West Germanic *-ō Proto-West Germanic *wikkō Old English wiċċa Middle English wicche English witch The noun is from Middle English wicche, from Old English wiċċe (“(female) witch; sorceress”) and wiċċa (“(male) witch; sorcerer; warlock”), deverbative from wiċċian (“to practice sorcery”), from Proto-Germanic *wikkōną (compare West Frisian wikje, wikke (“to foretell; to warn”), German Low German wicken (“to soothsay”), Dutch wikken, wichelen (“to dowse; to divine”)), from Proto-Indo-European *wik-néh2-, derivation of *weyk- (“to consecrate; to separate”); akin to Latin victima (“sacrificial victim”), Lithuanian viẽkas (“life-force”), Sanskrit वि॒नक्ति॑ (vinákti, “to set apart; to separate out”). Possibly related to wicked; see that entry for more. The verb derives from the noun.

Compare wick.

Chosen for its euphemistic rhyme.

From Middle English wicchen, from Old English wiċċian, from Proto-Germanic *wikkōną, from Proto-Indo-European *wik-néh2-, derivation of *weyk-. In the senses arising in Middle English and later probably aphetic from bewitch.

366 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Abkhaz: арупап (arupʼapʼ) — person who uses magic
• Afrikaans: heks — person who uses magic
• Albanian: yshtëse — person who uses magic
• Arabic: سَاحِرَة (sāḥira) — person who uses magic
• Aramaic: חרשתא — person who uses magic
• Aramaic: ܚܪܫܬܐ — person who uses magic
• Armenian: կախարդ (kaxard) — person who uses magic
• Armenian: վհուկ (vhuk) — person who uses magic
• Old Armenian: վհուկ (vhuk) — person who uses magic
• Old Armenian: հմայք (hmaykʻ) — person who uses magic
• Asturian: bruxa — person who uses magic
• Azerbaijani: cadugər — person who uses magic
• Basque: sorgin — person who uses magic
• Basque: belagile — person who uses magic
• Belarusian: ве́дзьма (vjédzʹma) — person who uses magic
• Belarusian: чараўні́ца (čarawníca) — person who uses magic
• Breton: gwrac'h — person who uses magic
• Breton: sorserez — person who uses magic
• Bulgarian: ве́щица (véštica) — person who uses magic
• Bulgarian: вълше́бница (vǎlšébnica) — person who uses magic
• Bulgarian: магьо́сница (magjósnica) — person who uses magic
• Bulgarian: чароде́йка (čarodéjka) — person who uses magic
• Burmese: ရွာသူ (rwasu) — person who uses magic
• Burmese: စုန်း (cun:) — person who uses magic
• Burmese: ကဝေ (ka.we) — person who uses magic
• Catalan: bruixa — person who uses magic
• Catalan: fetillera — person who uses magic
• Cebuano: mamamarang — person who uses magic
• Cebuano: bruha — person who uses magic
• Chamicuro: shikechpalo — person who uses magic
• Chechen: гӏам (ğam) — person who uses magic
• Chechen: алмаз (almaz) — person who uses magic
• Chechen: ешап (ješap) — person who uses magic
• Chichewa: mfiti — person who uses magic
• Chinese: 神姐 (sîn-chiá) — person who uses magic
• Chinese Mandarin: 巫 (wū) — person who uses magic
• Chinese Mandarin: 巫婆 (wūpó) — person who uses magic
• Chinese Mandarin: 巫人 (wūrén) — person who uses magic
• Chinese Mandarin: 女巫 (nǚwū) — person who uses magic
• Chinese Mandarin: 神婆 (shénpó) — person who uses magic
• Chinese Mandarin: 魔女 (mónǚ) — person who uses magic
• Chinese Mandarin: 女妖 (nǚyāo) — person who uses magic
• Chinese Mandarin: 師婆 /师婆 (shīpó) — person who uses magic
• East Circassian: уд (wud) — person who uses magic
• West Circassian: нэгъучӏыцэ (nɛğwuĉʼəcɛ) — person who uses magic
• West Circassian: уды (wudə) — person who uses magic
• Cornish: gwragh — person who uses magic
• Corsican: strega — person who uses magic
• Corsican: sdreia — person who uses magic
• Corsican: maga — person who uses magic
• Corsican: moca — person who uses magic
• Czech: čarodějnice — person who uses magic
• Danish: heks — person who uses magic
• Dutch: heks — person who uses magic
• Dutch: kol — person who uses magic
• Dutch: tovenares — person who uses magic
• Dutch: mare — person who uses magic
• Emilian: stria — person who uses magic
• Emilian: strìa — person who uses magic
• Esperanto: sorĉistino — person who uses magic
• Estonian: nõid — person who uses magic
• Faroese: gandakelling — person who uses magic
• Faroese: gívur — person who uses magic
• Finnish: noita — person who uses magic
• French: sorcière — person who uses magic
• French: stryge — person who uses magic
• North Frisian: Gögeler — person who uses magic
• Saterland Frisian: Häkse — person who uses magic
• West-Frisian: tsjoenster — person who uses magic
• Friulian: strie — person who uses magic
• Galician: meiga — person who uses magic
• Galician: bruxa — person who uses magic
• Galician: feiticeira — person who uses magic
• Galician: saga — person who uses magic
• Galician: bieiteira — person who uses magic
• Galician: fada — person who uses magic
• Galician: lurpia — person who uses magic
• Galician: antaruxa — person who uses magic
• Galician: sursuncorda — person who uses magic
• Galician: bencedeira — person who uses magic
• Galician: croucha — person who uses magic
• Galician: vedoreira — person who uses magic
• Galician: chamorra — person who uses magic
• Galician: distria — person who uses magic
• Galician: xugota — person who uses magic
• Galician: nubeira — person who uses magic
• Georgian: გრძნეული (grʒneuli) — person who uses magic
• Georgian: ჯადოქარი (ǯadokari) — person who uses magic
• Georgian: კუდიანი (ḳudiani) — person who uses magic
• German: Hexe — person who uses magic
• German: Gabelreiterin — person who uses magic
• German: Hexer — person who uses magic
• German: Hexenmeister — person who uses magic
• Old High German: hagzissa — person who uses magic
• Greek: μάγισσα (mágissa) — person who uses magic
• Ancient Greek: φαρμακίς (pharmakís) — person who uses magic
• Greenlandic: ilisiitsoq — person who uses magic
• Greenlandic: kussuk — person who uses magic
• Gujarati: વિચ (vic) — person who uses magic
• Gujarati: ચૂડેલ (cūḍel) — person who uses magic
• Haitian Creole: sòsyè — person who uses magic
• Hebrew: מְכַשֵּׁפָה (mekhashefá) — person who uses magic
• Hiligaynon: bahoy — person who uses magic
• Hindi: चुड़ैल (cuṛail) — person who uses magic
• Hindi: जादूगरनी (jādūgarnī) — person who uses magic
• Hindi: डाइन (ḍāin) — person who uses magic
• Hungarian: boszorka — person who uses magic
• Hungarian: boszorkány — person who uses magic
• Hungarian: bába — person who uses magic
• Hunsrik: Hex — person who uses magic
• Icelandic: galdrakerling — person who uses magic
• Icelandic: norn — person who uses magic
• Indonesian: ahli sihir — person who uses magic
• Indonesian: penyihir — person who uses magic
• Irish: cailleach — person who uses magic
• Irish: bean Ultach — person who uses magic
• Irish: cailleach Ultach — person who uses magic
• Irish: amaid — person who uses magic
• Irish: cailleach feasa — person who uses magic
• Irish: seanchailleach — person who uses magic
• Old Irish: badb — person who uses magic
• Old Irish: ammait — person who uses magic
• Italian: strega — person who uses magic
• Italian: fattucchiera — person who uses magic
• Italian: versiera — person who uses magic
• Italian: maliarda — person who uses magic
• Italian: saga — person who uses magic
• Japanese: 魔女 — person who uses magic
• Kabwa: omurogi class 1 — person who uses magic
• Kabwa: omuturutumbi class 1 — person who uses magic
• Kannada: ಮಾಟಗಾತಿ (māṭagāti) — person who uses magic
• Kannada: ಮಾಂತ್ರಿಕ ಸ್ತ್ರೀ (māntrika strī) — person who uses magic
• Kannada: ಮಾಯಗಾತಿ (māyagāti) — person who uses magic
• Karachay-Balkar: обур (obur) — person who uses magic
• Karelian: noita — person who uses magic
• Kashmiri: ڈٲن (ḍạ̄n) — person who uses magic
• Kashmiri: رانٛٹَس (rānṭas) — person who uses magic
• Kazakh: мыстан (mystan) — person who uses magic
• Kazakh: жезтырнақ (jeztyrnaq) — person who uses magic
• Khmer: មេមត់ (mei mŭət) — person who uses magic
• Khmer: ឌាក៌នី (diəkenii) — person who uses magic
• Kongo: ndoki — person who uses magic
• Korean: 무당 (mudang) — person who uses magic
• Korean: 마녀 (manyeo) — person who uses magic
• Kyrgyz: желмогуз (jelmoguz) — person who uses magic
• Lao: ແມ່ມົດ (mǣ mot) — person who uses magic
• Latgalian: rogona — person who uses magic
• Latin: magus — person who uses magic
• Latin: maga — person who uses magic
• Latin: maleficus — person who uses magic
• Latin: malefica — person who uses magic
• Latin: venēficus — person who uses magic
• Latin: venēfica — person who uses magic
• Latin: fascināns — person who uses magic
• Latin: fascinātor — person who uses magic
• Latin: fascinātrīx — person who uses magic
• Latin: sāgus — person who uses magic
• Latin: sāga — person who uses magic
• Latin: striga — person who uses magic
• Latin: lamia — person who uses magic
• Latin: pȳthōnissa — person who uses magic
• Latin: strix — person who uses magic
• Latvian: ragana — person who uses magic
• Latvian: mačka — person who uses magic
• Limburgish: heks — person who uses magic
• Lithuanian: ragana — person who uses magic
• Lombard: stria — person who uses magic
• Lombard: strïon — person who uses magic
• Low German: Hex — person who uses magic
• Low German: Wicker — person who uses magic
• Low German: Wickersch — person who uses magic
• Low German: Wickersche — person who uses magic
• Low German: Witsch — person who uses magic
• Middle Low German: eteninne — person who uses magic
• Luxembourgish: Hex — person who uses magic
• Macedonian: вештерка (vešterka) — person who uses magic
• Macedonian: волшебничка (volšebnička) — person who uses magic
• Malagasy: mpamosavy — person who uses magic
• Malay: ahli sihir — person who uses magic
• Malay: penyihir — person who uses magic
• Malay: sahir — person who uses magic
• Malayalam: മന്ത്രവാദം (mantravādaṁ) — person who uses magic
• Maltese: saħħara — person who uses magic
• Manx: ben obbee — person who uses magic
• Manx: buitçh — person who uses magic
• Manx: caillagh — person who uses magic
• Māori: hinematarau — person who uses magic
• Mauritian Creole: churel — person who uses magic
• Mauritian Creole: sorsier — person who uses magic
• Middle English: wicche — person who uses magic
• Navajo: áńtʼį́į́hii — person who uses magic
• Navajo: adiłgąshii — person who uses magic
• Ndonga: omulodhi class 1 — person who uses magic
• Ndonga: omulogi class 1 — person who uses magic
• Norman: chorchiéthe — person who uses magic
• Norwegian Bokmål: heks — person who uses magic
• Norwegian Nynorsk: trollkjerring — person who uses magic
• Norwegian Nynorsk: heks — person who uses magic
• Nyole (Uganda): omulogo class 1 — person who uses magic
• Occitan: masca — person who uses magic
• Occitan: bruèissa — person who uses magic
• Occitan: fachilhièra — person who uses magic
• Occitan: fachinièra — person who uses magic
• Old English: hægtesse — person who uses magic
• Old English: wiċċe — person who uses magic
• Old English: wiċċa — person who uses magic
• Old Galician-Portuguese: sorteira — person who uses magic
• Old Norse: seiðkona — person who uses magic
• Old Norse: vǫlva — person who uses magic
• Old Norse: galdrakona — person who uses magic
• Pashto: شیشکه (šišaka) — person who uses magic
• Pashto: جادوګره (jādugara) — person who uses magic
• Pennsylvania German: Hex — person who uses magic
• Iranian Persian: ساحِرِه (sâhere) — person who uses magic
• Plautdietsch: Hakjs — person who uses magic
• Polish: czarownica — person who uses magic
• Polish: wiedźma — person who uses magic
• Polish: jędza — person who uses magic
• Polish: heksa — person who uses magic
• Portuguese: bruxa — person who uses magic
• Portuguese: estria — person who uses magic
• Portuguese: estrige — person who uses magic
• Portuguese: feiticeira — person who uses magic
• Puyuma: temararamaw — person who uses magic
• Quechua: layqa — person who uses magic
• Romani: ćovaxani — person who uses magic
• Romani: ćovali — person who uses magic
• Romani: drabarìca — person who uses magic
• Romani: drabarni — person who uses magic
• Baltic Romani: čovaxani (Latvia) — person who uses magic
• Baltic Romani: čovaxanî — person who uses magic
• Baltic Romani: vjeďma — person who uses magic
• Baltic Romani: vedzma (Litovska) — person who uses magic
• Sinte-Romani: čovaxani — person who uses magic
• Sinte-Romani: broška — person who uses magic
• Sinte-Romani: heksa — person who uses magic
• Welsh-Romani: čovexani — person who uses magic
• Romanian: vrăjitoare — person who uses magic
• Romanian: vrăjitor — person who uses magic
• Romansh: stria — person who uses magic
• Romansh: streia — person who uses magic
• Russian: ве́дьма (védʹma) — person who uses magic
• Russian: колду́нья (koldúnʹja) — person who uses magic
• Russian: волше́бница (volšébnica) — person who uses magic
• Russian: чароде́йка (čarodéjka) — person who uses magic
• Lule-Sami: guobas — person who uses magic
• Santali: ᱯᱷᱩᱠᱨᱤᱱ (phukrin) — person who uses magic
• Scots: ell-woman — person who uses magic
• Scots: galdragon — person who uses magic
• Scots: gyre carline — person who uses magic
• Scots: hexie — person who uses magic
• Scots: sorceres — person who uses magic
• Scots: wancanny carlin — person who uses magic
• Scots: weird-woman — person who uses magic
• Scots: wise woman — person who uses magic
• Scots: wise wife — person who uses magic
• Scots: witch — person who uses magic
• Scots: witch-carline — person who uses magic
• Scots: witch-queen — person who uses magic
• Scots: witch-wife — person who uses magic
• Scottish Gaelic: ban-draoidh — person who uses magic
• Scottish Gaelic: buidseach — person who uses magic
• Scottish Gaelic: bana-bhuidseach — person who uses magic
• Serbo-Croatian: вѐштица — person who uses magic
• Serbo-Croatian: вјѐштица — person who uses magic
• Serbo-Croatian: штри̏га — person who uses magic
• Serbo-Croatian: цо̀прница — person who uses magic
• Serbo-Croatian: vèštica — person who uses magic
• Serbo-Croatian: vjèštica — person who uses magic
• Serbo-Croatian: štrȉga — person who uses magic
• Serbo-Croatian: còprnica — person who uses magic
• Sicilian: magara — person who uses magic
• Slovak: čarodejnica — person who uses magic
• Slovak: striga — person who uses magic
• Slovak: bosorka — person who uses magic
• Slovene: čarovnica — person who uses magic
• Lower Sorbian: chódota — person who uses magic
• Upper Sorbian: chodojta — person who uses magic
• Upper Sorbian: kuzłarnča — person who uses magic
• Spanish: bruja — person who uses magic
• Spanish: hechicera — person who uses magic
• Spanish: maga — person who uses magic
• Sumerian: 𒊩𒈦𒈦 (/⁠mašmaš⁠/) — person who uses magic
• Swahili: mchawi — person who uses magic
• Swedish: häxa — person who uses magic
• Swedish: trollpacka — person who uses magic
• Swedish: trollkvinna — person who uses magic
• Tagalog: mananagisama — person who uses magic
• Tagalog: mangkukulam — person who uses magic
• Tajik: ҷодугарзан (jodugarzan) — person who uses magic
• Tajik: албастӣ (albasti) — person who uses magic
• Tajik: соҳира (sohira) — person who uses magic
• Tamil: சூனியக்காரி (cūṉiyakkāri) — person who uses magic
• Tamil: விரிச்சிகன் (viriccikaṉ) — person who uses magic
• Taos: còhəoʼóna — person who uses magic
• Telugu: మంత్రగత్తె (mantragatte) — person who uses magic
• Thai: แม่มด (mɛ̂ɛ-mót) — person who uses magic
• Tok Pisin: puripurimeri — person who uses magic
• Tok Pisin: poisinmeri — person who uses magic
• Tok Pisin: sanguma meri — person who uses magic
• Tsou: yoifo — person who uses magic
• Tswana: moloi — person who uses magic
• Turkish: büyücü — person who uses magic
• Turkish: sihirbaz — person who uses magic
• Turkish: cadı — person who uses magic
• Udi: тӏатӏмер (ṭaṭmer) — person who uses magic
• Udi: куси (kusi) — person who uses magic
• Ukrainian: ві́дьма (vídʹma) — person who uses magic
• Ukrainian: чарівни́ця (čarivnýcja) — person who uses magic
• Ukrainian: чаклу́нка (čaklúnka) — person who uses magic
• Urdu: چُڑَیل (cuṛail) — person who uses magic
• Uzbek: jodugar — person who uses magic
• Venetan: striga — person who uses magic
• Veps: noid — person who uses magic
• Vietnamese: phù thuỷ — person who uses magic
• Vilamovian: pyłwajs — person who uses magic
• Volapük: magivan — person who uses magic
• Volapük: himagivan — person who uses magic
• Volapük: jimagivan — person who uses magic
• Võro: nõid — person who uses magic
• Votic: nõitõ — person who uses magic
• Waray-Waray: barangan — person who uses magic
• Welsh: dewines — person who uses magic
• Welsh: gwrach — person who uses magic
• Xhosa: igqwirhakazi — person who uses magic
• Yao (Africa): msaŵi class 1 — person who uses magic
• Yiddish: מכשפֿה (makhsheyfe) — person who uses magic
• Zazaki: cındar — person who uses magic
• Albanian: shtrigë — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Armenian: վհուկ (vhuk) — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Bulgarian: ве́щица (véštica) — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Catalan: bruixa — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Chechen: гӏам (ğam) — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Czech: čarodějnice — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Danish: heks — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Dutch: heks — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Esperanto: harpio — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Finnish: akka — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Finnish: ämmä — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• French: sorcière — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• French: harpie — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Galician: bruxa — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Galician: lurpia — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Georgian: დედაბერი (dedaberi) — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• German: Hexe — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Hungarian: boszorkány — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Irish: cailleach — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Irish: raicleach — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Irish: málóid — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Irish: báirseach — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Japanese: 鬼女 (kijo) — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Korean: 마귀할멈 (magwihalmeom) — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Korean: 귀녀 (gwinyeo) — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Macedonian: вештерка (vešterka) — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Norwegian Bokmål: heks — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Norwegian Nynorsk: heks — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Polish: wiedźma — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Portuguese: bruxa — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Russian: ве́дьма (védʹma) — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Russian: карга́ (kargá) — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Russian: кики́мора (kikímora) — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Slovene: coprnca — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Slovene: čarovnica — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Spanish: bruja — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Swahili: mchawi — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman
• Turkish: cadaloz — derogatory: ugly or unpleasant woman