charming

/ˈtʃɑːmɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtʃɑːrmɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈchär-miŋ/ (ame, mw)

charming — adjective

  • charmingpositive
  • more charmingcomparative
  • most charmingsuperlative

1. having a special quality that makes people feel happy and drawn to a person, pla

1.形容詞B1
釋義

having a special quality that makes people feel happy and drawn to a person, place, or thing — such as a friendly way of speaking, a pretty old street, or a warm smile

例句

Inside the tiny bookshop, a charming reading area with soft chairs welcomed visitors.

collocation: charming + place / town / village

Leila gave a charming smile when she heard the surprise news.

collocation: charming smile

同義詞
  • delightful

    slightly stronger — something that gives great pleasure or joy, like a delightful surprise

  • appealing

    focuses on being attractive or inviting, often used for ideas or offers rather than people

  • engaging

    highlights the ability to hold someone's attention, especially in conversation

反義詞
  • unpleasant

    the direct opposite — causes discomfort rather than pleasure

  • repulsive

    much stronger — causes strong dislike or disgust

常見錯誤

❌The food was charming.
✅The food was delicious.
💡charming describes places, people, and things you enjoy being around, not the taste of food.

2. acting in an extremely friendly and pleasant way, but only in order to get what

2.形容詞B2
釋義

acting in an extremely friendly and pleasant way, but only in order to get what you want from other people — for example, a charming salesperson who makes promises that they do not keep

例句

The salesman was charming at first, but we soon realized he only cared about his commission.

charming → hidden selfish motive

Everyone liked Diego until they noticed his charming words never led to real actions.

同義詞
  • smooth-talking

    more informal — suggests persuasive but possibly dishonest speech

  • ingratiating

    more formal — describes deliberate effort to win favor with flattery

反義詞
  • genuine

    the opposite — real and honest in manner, no hidden motive

  • sincere

    the opposite — expressing true feelings without pretense

用法筆記

This sense describes a person's behavior as insincere. The context usually reveals a contrast between the pleasant surface and the selfish goal — look for clues like 'but,' 'only,' or 'just' in nearby sentences.

常見錯誤

❌The teacher gave a charming speech at the ceremony.
✅The teacher gave a lovely speech at the ceremony.
💡use sense 2 only when the friendly behavior is hiding a selfish goal, not for genuine kindness.

3. said as a single-word comment in an annoyed or sarcastic tone when someone has b

3.形容詞B2
釋義

said as a single-word comment in an annoyed or sarcastic tone when someone has behaved badly or said something rude — you use 'Charming!' to mean that the opposite is true, and you actually find the behavior unpleasant

例句

Tom's excuse was so weak I just said 'Charming!' and walked out.

ironic exclamation after bad behavior

After the waiter ignored them for twenty minutes, Diego muttered 'Charming' under his breath.

用法筆記

Always spoken, never written in formal texts. The tone of voice (flat, annoyed, or sarcastic) is essential to convey the meaning — in writing, quotation marks and a description of the tone are usually needed.

常見錯誤

❌Saying 'Charming!' with a warm, happy smile when someone gives you a gift.
✅That is so kind of you!
💡sense 3 is only used sarcastically with a negative tone; a sincere compliment requires a different expression.