charms

charms — 名詞

1. the appealing qualities of a person — their warmth, looks, wit, or way of speaki

1.名詞B2
釋義

魅力

吸引人的特質與氣質

the appealing qualities of a person — their warmth, looks, wit, or way of speaking — that make others feel drawn to them.

例句

Sivan used her charms on the gallery owner and walked out with a paid commission.

Sivan 對畫廊老闆使出渾身魅力，最後拿到了一份有酬的委託案。

use + possessive + charms + on [target]

The new neighbour quickly won over the whole street with his easy charms.

新搬來的鄰居憑著自然不做作的魅力，很快就贏得了整條街的好感。

win [people] over + with + charms

同義詞
  • allure

    more glamorous; suggests mystery as well as warmth

  • appeal

    broader and more neutral; can describe ideas too, not only people

  • magnetism

    stronger, almost involuntary pull; usually about a powerful personality

文法句型

use one's charms on someone

用法筆記

Almost always plural in this sense and almost always preceded by a possessive (her/his/their). Singular 'charm' meaning the same trait stays uncountable; the plural 'charms' bundles several attractive qualities together.

常見錯誤

❌She has a charms that everyone notices.
✅She has charms that everyone notices.
💡drop the article; plural noun never takes 'a'.
❌He used charms to get the job.' (sounds like spells)
✅He used his charms to get the job.
💡without the possessive, readers think of magical objects.

2. small objects, or short phrases people repeat, said to draw fortune toward the o

2.名詞B2
釋義

護身符；咒語

祈求好運或避邪的物品或短語

small objects, or short phrases people repeat, said to draw fortune toward the owner or shield them from harm.

例句

Dahlia kept a row of tiny charms on her dashboard for long drives.

Dahlia 在儀表板上擺了一排小護身符，留著長途開車時用。

concrete object scenario

Old sailors carried bone charms against storms whenever they set out from the harbour.

從前的水手出航時，都會帶上骨製護身符來避開暴風雨。

charms against + [misfortune]

同義詞
  • amulets

    more formal; usually worn on the body, often religious

  • talismans

    broader — any object thought to have magical power, not only lucky

  • tokens

    more neutral; emphasises the symbol over the magical power

文法句型

charms against [misfortune]

用法筆記

Covers both physical lucky tokens (sense focus in everyday English) and short magical sayings. Distinguish from sense 1 by the presence of a believed magical effect; possessive is optional here.

常見錯誤

❌She wore charms in her neck for luck.
✅She wore charms around her neck for luck.
💡use 'around', not 'in'.

3. tiny decorative ornaments, often in silver or gold, that hang from a chain brace

3.名詞B2
釋義

墜飾；小吊飾

掛在手鍊或項鍊上的小裝飾

tiny decorative ornaments, often in silver or gold, that hang from a chain bracelet or necklace and that the wearer adds to over time.

例句

Ramón gave his sister a silver bracelet with three tiny charms shaped like cats.

Ramón 送了妹妹一條銀手鍊，上面有三個小貓造型的墜飾。

charms shaped like + [noun]

Imran's grandmother added new charms to the family bracelet on every birthday.

Imran 的奶奶每年生日都會在家族手鍊上多加一個墜飾。

add + charms + to + [chain]

同義詞
  • trinkets

    cheaper, more disposable feel; not necessarily worn on a chain

  • pendants

    usually one larger ornament hung from a chain, not a cluster of small ones

文法句型

charms on + [bracelet/necklace]

用法筆記

Refers to the ornaments themselves, not the chain. Distinguish from sense 2 by the focus on decoration rather than magical effect; many charm bracelets carry no luck meaning at all.

常見錯誤

❌She has a charm bracelet with many charm.
✅She has a charm bracelet with many charms.
💡keep the plural -s on the ornament word.

charms — 動詞