Enchanted

How to spell enchanted

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce enchanted

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does enchanted mean?

1. adjectiveFilled with great delight or charm, as if under a happy spell.
2. adjectivePlaced under or affected by a magic spell, especially in stories.

Enchanted in a sentence

• The guests were enchanted by the quiet garden and the candlelight.

• The novel is set in an enchanted forest where the trees can speak.

• She felt completely enchanted during her first visit to the old city.

• The play featured an enchanted castle that appeared only at midnight.

Where does enchanted come from?

Language of origin: French

This word traces back to the Latin verb incantare, which literally meant 'to chant or sing a spell upon' something, built from in- 'upon' and cantare 'to sing'. The same cantare root gives us familiar relatives such as 'chant', 'cantor' and even 'incantation', all of which still carry the idea of singing or ritual recitation. The word reached English through Old French enchanter during the medieval period, when magic and music were closely linked in the popular imagination, and casting a spell genuinely involved chanting words aloud. Over time the literal sense of bewitching by song softened into the gentler modern meaning of being utterly delighted or charmed. The 'en-' opening, rather than 'in-', is the spelling that catches people out, even though the buried 'chant' is a useful clue to both the spelling and the meaning.

How the word is built

• en- (to put into)
• chant (from Latin cantare: to sing)
• -ed (past tense / adjective suffix)