English → Latin
“charm” in Latin
carmensong, tune; a composition in verse, a poem; poetry, verse, song; poem, poetry (strictly any poem or poetry that can be scanticumsong; passage in a comedy chanted or sung; sing-song voicecantiōsong, singing, playing; incantation, spellfascinātiōbewitching (e.g. by evil eye), fascinationeffascĭnātĭoa bewitchinggrātiagrace; thankfulness; thanks (see grātiās agō, grātiās habeō)venustuscharming, friendly, lovely, pleasing, comely, beautiful, elegant; artistic, elegant; affable, elegant, charmingvenēnuma potion, juice; poison, venomfascinōto enchant, bewitch, charm, fascinate (especially by the eyes or tongue)capiōto take, to capture, to catch, to seize, to take captive, to storm; to take on, adopt; to hold, to contain
The English word charm itself goes back to Latin carmen.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
charm
incantation, etc., carmen: canticum (the prescribed form): cantio (the uttered form, or utterance of the form): fascinatio: effascinatio (both of fascinating by the look and by words). To repeat a charm, incantare carmen. Charms, veneficia et cantiones: venenum (prepared drugs). To bring it about, as by a charm, that, etc., quodam quasi veneno perficere, ut, etc.
Attraction, gratia: venustas (attractive beauty). Seductive charms, lenocinia: personal charms, venustas et pulchrirado corporis. The charms of nature, amoenitates naturae. Any thing has no charm for me, nihil voluptatis mihi aliquid affert. Any thing has a charm for me, inest in aliqua re stimulus, qui me ejus appetentem facit; studio alicujus rei teneor, or only teneor aliqua re; ad aliquid me fert naturalis irritatio; alicujus rei mihi innata dulcedo est (has a natural charm for me).
charm v.
fascinare: effascinare (often with ablative: voce, lingua, voce atque lingua). To charm away anything, aliqind carminibus levare (e.g., a disease: after Plaut., Mil., 4, 6, 57). To charm (= restrain by a charm), aliquid carminibus compescere (e.g., ignes, Ov.).
Subdue by pleasure, etc., capere: rapere: delenire. A girl whose beauty charms, puella, cujus forma rapit (Propertius). [Vid. DELIGHT, v.] To summon by incantations, adjurare (late, Lactantius): carminibus elicere (e.g., infernas umbras, Tac.).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for charm?
- The usual Latin words for “charm” are carmen, canticum, cantiō; also fascinātiō, effascĭnātĭo, grātia. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.