black magic
20
7.7
- noun
- /blæk ˈmædʒɪk/
:
magia negra
- "Vivian Dacobra is a sorceress, well versed in black magic," I told him.
- practice black magic
Who killed these people and why did why did they do it with black magic in this way?
- Who killed these people and why did why did they do it with black magic in this way?
- And we will make ourselves special by carving out one and then applying black magic or some cursed state that then takes that away from us.
- In the Book of Enoch it's described that a lot of angels came to earth and taught men things like witchcraft spells, black magic, stuff like that.
- And with the black magic, I got out and I went to several sisters to see a friend down there.
Examples
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Legend has it that Tyranus learned black magic from an Etruscan sorcerer who lived in a cave high in the mountains.
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A conjurer dabbling in black magic.
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This is the book of protection against black magic.
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Probably, folks thought she had kept the illness away by black magic.
Fiction book (1993) -
Or else they suspected him of being involved in some sort of black magic.
Fiction book (1995) -
"I think, however, that he must have dabbled in sorcery and black magic."
Fiction book (1998) -
Many people fear that black magic can bring bad luck and misfortune.
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The villagers believed that black magic was responsible for the recent drought.
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He warned them about the dangers of using black magic for selfish ends.
Synonyms
29
9.2
To use magic to control people or events, often to harm
Magic that people use to call evil spirits and hurt others
A harmful use of magic that people believe causes bad luck
Antonyms
How Harmful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'supernatural powers used for evil purposes' is directly derivable from combining 'black' (here signaling evil/dark) with 'magic' (supernatural power). This color-as-evil metaphor is common cross-linguistically (e.g. Spanish magia negra, French magie noire), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will very likely infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
Black magic combines the words black and magic, where black suggests night and hidden things and magic means strange powers. People imagine secret ceremonies or hidden spells used to hurt others, so it means using magic for 'evil' or to cause 'harm'.