bə̇ˈwich, bē- verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
Etymology: Middle English bewicchen, from be- + wicchen to witch — more at witch
transitive verb
1.
a. : to influence or control by witchcraft : dominate by witchcraft : affect (as injuriously) by charms or incantations
look how I am bewitched; behold, mine arm is like a blasted sapling withered up — Shakespeare
charged with bewitching a girl, who had been seized with a sudden illness that the doctor could not diagnose — American Guide Series: Tennessee
b. : to cast a spell over
the spotlight was on them, and the spell, and they stood there bewitched and helpless — Dorothy Baker
2. : to attract or please to such a degree as to take away all power of resistance or considered reservation : enchant , charm , fascinate
she bewitched King James no less than her first lover — New York Times
that time-honored privilege of saying foolish things in the grand manner which seems to have bewitched our gallant forefathers — Norman Douglas
intransitive verb
: to act in a way that bewitches : charm , fascinate
a book that bewitches and enchants as it teaches — Americas
Synonyms: see attract