Word
enchanted
Phoneticsen·chant·ed, stress on the second syllable
US/ɛnˈtʃænɪd/
UK/ɛntʃˈɑːntɪd/
Definitions
01magical
B2 · Upper Intermediate Literary
adj. placed under a magic spell or having magical qualities.
adj. subject to magical influence or charms; often used to describe settings in folklore or fantasy.
“The children believed they had found an enchanted forest where the trees could talk.”
“The protagonist wanders through an enchanted landscape where the laws of physics are superseded by ancient, capricious magic.”
Synonyms
02delighted
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. feeling very pleased, interested, or charmed by someone or something.
adj. utterly charmed, delighted, or captivated by a person, performance, or situation.
“I was enchanted by the small mountain village and decided to stay for a week.”
“The audience remained enchanted throughout the recital, captivated by the young pianist's technical precision and emotional depth.”
Synonyms
03polite greeting
C2 · Proficiency Formal · Archaic
interj. a very formal way to say 'nice to meet you'.
interj. a formulaic social greeting used upon introduction to express pleasure at meeting someone.
“"Enchanted," he said, bowing slightly as he was introduced to the guest of honour.”
“In the nineteenth-century salon, a gentleman might murmur "enchanted" while bowing to a lady, though such formalities have largely vanished from modern discourse.”
Teaching tip
This sense is archaic and very formal; learners should use 'pleased to meet you' or 'nice to meet you' in modern contexts.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Kindergarten is often an enchanted place, one which many children vividly remember all their lives.” “But an enchanted world need not be one full of sprites and pixies. Rather, it is one that, to quote Seamus Heaney’s poem “Postscript”, can “catch the heart off guard and blow it open”.” “Hollywood seems enchanted by his new partner-in-cake, while Lawson is endearingly self-effacing, all too aware that she’s joining a long-running hit and simply doesn’t want to “stuff it up”.” “Revisiting it decades later, despite possessing a cynical anti-nostalgia firewall, I was nevertheless swiftly enchanted.” In Music
Enchanted · 2011 · Country rock
- Artist:
- Taylor Swift
- Album:
- Speak Now
Taylor Swift's 2011 power ballad describes the magical feeling of meeting someone special for the first time. The title uses the word literally to show how the narrator is completely charmed and infatuated by this new person. She spends the song hoping that this wonderful initial connection is mutual.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/enchanted