witch
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a person, usually a woman, who uses magic or spells.
n.a person, typically female, credited with supernatural powers or the practice of sorcery.
Simple“The children dressed up as a witch and a wizard for the party.”
In context“Folklore often depicts the witch as a solitary figure living on the fringes of society, possessing herbal knowledge that neighbors both feared and sought.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.an unkind or mean name for a woman you do not like.
n.a derogatory figurative label for an unpleasant, cruel, or ill-tempered woman.
Simple“My old boss was a total witch who never let anyone take a break.”
In context“The tabloid press unfairly characterized the actress as a witch after she refused to answer personal questions during the interview.”
Synonymshagshrew - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a person who follows a modern religion like Wicca that respects nature and uses rituals.
n.a practitioner of Wicca or a related neopagan religion, often emphasizing a connection to the natural world.
Simple“She identifies as a witch and celebrates the changing of the seasons.”
In context“Modern witches often distinguish their spiritual practices from the stereotypical portrayals found in horror films and fairy tales.”
Synonymswiccanpagan - 04 C2 Proficiency
v.to use a special stick to try to find water underground.
v.to search for underground water or minerals using a dowsing rod.
Simple“The farmer tried to witch for water before digging the new well.”
In context“Despite the lack of scientific evidence, some rural communities still hire specialists to witch for water when a new borehole is required.”
Synonymsdowse - 05 C1 Advanced
v.to use magic on someone or something.
v.to influence or affect by or as if by witchcraft.
Simple“The old stories say she could witch the cattle so they gave no milk.”
In context“In the ballad, the mysterious lady attempted to witch the knight into forgetting his home and family.”
Synonyms
Usage witch hunt'
The noun is from Middle English wicche, from Old English wiċċe (“witch (female), sorceress”) and wiċċa (“witch (male), sorcerer, warlock”), deverbative from wiċċian (“to practice sorcery”), from Proto-Germanic wikkōną (compare West Frisian wikje, wikke (“to foretell, warn”), German Low German wicken (“to soothsay”), Dutch wikken, wichelen (“to dowse, divine”)), from Proto-Indo-European wik-néh₂-, derivation of *weyk- (“to consecrate; separate”); akin to Latin victima (“sacrificial victim”), Lithuanian viẽkas (“life-force”), Sanskrit विनक्ति (vinákti, “to set apart, separate out”). Possibly related to wicked; see that entry for more. The verb derives from the noun.
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.
Compare wick.
Chosen for its euphemistic rhyme.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.