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to witch

to witch

12 8.1
To put a magic spell on someone to harm or control them
  • verb
  • /wɪtʃ/
translation icon : hechizar
  • In both cases, it was suggested that the men had been witched, probably because someone envied them.
  • victims were witched

Examples

  • Among the Pawnees, there are some members who believe that one can be witched.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Sarah claims that she was witched in the 1940s.

    Academic text (2000)
  • If any of us got sick, my grandmother would do witch things to us.

    Blog text (2)
  • But you had been told that the one who witched you came from someplace else.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Garland said High Eagle always denied that he performed bad medicine, but apprehension about his ability to witch continued.

    Academic text (2000)
  • A person can be witched if he is outstanding and successful, and there is someone who is jealous of his attainments.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The old woman in the village is said to witch her crops to ensure a good harvest.

  • Many believed they could witch their enemies by casting evil spells at them.

  • In ancient times, people would often witch their fields to attract bountiful rains.

Synonyms

to bewitch
vsto witch
23 7.2

To attract and charm someone as if by magic

is the simpler verb form without the added prefix
to enchant
vsto witch
5 7.7

To put a magic spell on someone or something

often aims to harm by casting a curse rather than charming
to hex
vsto witch
  • Literature
5 9.3

To put an evil spell on someone or something to cause bad luck

is broader and applies to any magical spell not only harmful ones
to glamor
vsto witch
  • Archaic
9.9

To cast a magic spell that makes someone see or feel things that are not real

is the common modern verb rather than an old or literary form

Antonyms

to bless
  • Formal
624 3.5

To make something holy by a religious act

Compounds

witch-hunt
  • Literature
85 7.7

A campaign to unfairly find and punish people for their beliefs or actions

18 8.2

A person in some cultures who uses rituals and plant medicines to heal people

witch-hunter
  • Literature
3 8.2

A person who unfairly attacks people for their opinions

water witch
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A woman who finds underground water using a divining rod

1 4.9

A small tree or shrub whose bark and leaves make a skin lotion

1 5.1

A liquid made from the plant's bark and leaves to soothe skin

A North American grass with thin, brush-like flower heads that often grows as a weed

A small fragrant shrub from the lower Mississippi valley with tiny flowers that bloom in winter and spring

A common shrub from eastern North America that makes small yellow flowers after its leaves fall

8.8

A European elm tree with wide branches used for shade

8.3

A grass that spreads quickly and grows where it is not wanted

9.4

A small shrub that loses its leaves in winter with white spring flowers and bright red or orange autumn leaves

witch broom
  • Specialized
9.9

A dense cluster of twigs growing from one point on a tree

witch-hazel family
  • Specialized
8.6

A group of trees and shrubs that have flowers, including witch-hazel and sweetgum

How Powerful

to curse
244 4.8
to hex
  • Literature
5 9.3
to witch
12 8.1
to bewitch
23 7.2
to enchant
5 7.7

Surface Forms

witch infinitive
witched past
witched past participle
witching present participle
witches third person singular

Etymology

The verb witch comes from the Old English verb wiccan, meaning 'to practice magic'. So to witch someone is to 'put a spell on' them, which explains the verb meaning 'to bewitch'.