spellbinder

[ spel-bahyn-der ]

noun

1. a person or thing that spellbinds, especially a powerful speaker who can captivate an audience.

spellbinder

/ ˈspɛlˌbaɪndə /

noun

1. a person capable of holding others spellbound, esp a political speaker
2. a novel, play, etc, that holds one enthralled

Word History and Origins

Origin of spellbinder¹

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; spellbind + -er ¹

Example Sentences

The audience laughed and laughed, not least because the Judge, an old-fashioned spellbinder, paused or gestured at well-chosen instants.

From New York Times

He tried to start a fascist political party in the United States, attended the Nuremberg rally of 1938 and described Hitler as “a spellbinder”.

From The Guardian

They filled the air with stemwinders, spellbinders, conspiracy theorists and purveyors of quack remedies.

From Washington Post

The thing about the bloodthirsty Richard, who ascends to power through lies, dirty tricks and thuggery, is that on some level he’s a spellbinder.

From Washington Post

Johnson would later describe Hitler as “a spellbinder”; in 1964, well after he had been forced to abjure his Nazi past, he insisted in letters that Hitler was “better than Roosevelt.”

From The New Yorker

Related Words

• charmer
• genius
• virtuoso
• witch
• wizard