Dictionary

enchantress en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /-ɹəs/ (General-American)
• /ɪnˈt͡ʃæntɹɪs/ (General-American)
• /-ɹəs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ɪnˈtʃɑːntɹɪs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ɛnˈtʃɑːntɹɪs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ɛnˈt͡ʃæntɹɪs/ (General-American)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English enchaunteresse, from Old French enchanteresse; equivalent to enchanter + -ess.

Meanings

1. A woman, especially an attractive one, skilled at using magic; an alluring witch.
   • The tablets upon which the events of the day were recorded refer to enchantresses, and we can conclude that they were by no means restricted to ancient beldames. 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 25:
   • Him fortuned (hard fortune ye may gheſſe) To come, where vile Acraſia does wonne [live], Acraſia a falſe enchauntereſſe, That many errant knightes hath fowle fordonne: […] 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 51, page 201:
   • For even the enchantresses Circe and Medea could not, by their black arts, prevent the unfaithfulness of Odysseus and Jason. 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 175:
2. A beautiful, charming and irresistible woman.
   • Once upon a time (as the story goes) there was a beautiful maiden, an absolute enchantress. 2021 [2001], John Eldredge, chapter 10, in Wild at Heart, Expanded edition, Nelson Books, →ISBN, page 163:
   • She was the enchantress of men’s hearts.
3. A femme fatale.
   • His desire for that enchantress led him to financial ruin.

Forms

Synonyms

beautiful woman (beautiful woman) · siren (alluring witch) · vamp (femme fatale) · sorceress (alluring witch)

Translations (40)

ja 魔女 (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · fi lumoojatar (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · ja 魅惑的な女 (beautiful, charming and irresistible woman) · sv förtrollerska (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · es hechicera (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · ru обворожи́тельная же́нщина (beautiful, charming and irresistible woman) · fr enchanteresse (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · de bezaubernde Frau (beautiful, charming and irresistible woman) · ru чаровни́ца (beautiful, charming and irresistible woman) · nl charmeuse (beautiful, charming and irresistible woman) · sv tjuserska (femme fatale) · nl tovenares (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · uk чарівни́ця (beautiful, charming and irresistible woman) · hi मोहिनी (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · cmn 女巫 (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · ga bandraíodóir (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · ca fetillera (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · es encantadora (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · nl verleidster (beautiful, charming and irresistible woman) · sv förtrollerska (beautiful, charming and irresistible woman) · hi मोहिनी (beautiful, charming and irresistible woman) · ru очарова́тельная же́нщина (beautiful, charming and irresistible woman) · it incantatrice (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · ru колду́нья (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · ca bruixa (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · ja 魅惑的な女性 (beautiful, charming and irresistible woman) · nl heks (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · la lamia (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · pl czarodziejka (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · de Zauberin (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · ru чароде́йка (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · cmn 妖精 (beautiful, charming and irresistible woman) · cmn 女妖 (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · ru обворожи́тельница (beautiful, charming and irresistible woman) · uk чарівни́ця (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · sv trollkvinna (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · ga draíodóir mná (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · ru волше́бница (attractive woman skilled at using magic — see also witch) · ja 妖婦 (beautiful, charming and irresistible woman) · fi lumoojatar (beautiful, charming and irresistible woman)