adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of charming
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; charm 1 + -ing 2
Explanation
Something charming is usually pleasing or delightful. More rarely, it can be something supernatural. Charms are magical objects and something charming puts you under its spell. In most cases, we mean that only figuratively — if you spent a charming evening with friends, it means their company was so wonderful it was almost enchanting. Charming people have a special, almost magical way of making others like them. But if you're talking about a charming witch, you better watch out for her sorcery and magic tricks.
Vocabulary lists containing charming
Positive Words to Describe a Person
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Real Nice!
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Positive Words to Describe People, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I ain’t sayin’ I was Prince Charming or nothin’.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
Hong Kong-based Charming Medical, a beauty-care company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, went public at $4 on Oct.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025
Then, die-hard fans criticized her for saying the new film would update tropes from the original 1937 animated movie, including the emphasis on Snow White’s romance with Prince Charming.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2025
The Irish writer, behind books including This Charming Man and The Break, told an audience at the Hay Festival: "I wouldn't have had the discipline or self-belief."
From BBC • May 26, 2024
It reminded Benji of the scene in Cinderella when Prince Charming put the glass slipper on her foot.
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
