Ensorcells

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To enchant or bewitch someone, often leading to a state of fascination or entrancement
2. To cast a spell on someone, captivating them with an irresistible charm or allure
3. To invoke a powerful magical influence over someone, resulting in a deep, often entranced longing or admiration

Etymology: "Ensorcells" is the third-person singular present form of "ensorcell," so it describes someone who casts a spell over another person. The verb entered English from Old French "ensorceler," meaning to cast a spell, enchant, or captivate. Its base is the French "sorcier" (sorcerer), so the verb carries the same idea of bewitchment as the older English word "sorcerer" but adds a French prefix, "en-," meaning "caused to be," turning the noun into an action done to someone. The deeper root of "sorcier" is the Latin "sors," meaning fate, lot, or an oracular response. Ancient Latin speakers used "sors" for the answers drawn by lot from oracles, so the notion of a spell began with divination, the reading of fate, rather than with any malevolent magic. The verb therefore preserves a trace of its origin: to ensorcell someone is, literally, to put them under the power of fate.

Synonyms: enslaves, captivates, enthralls, beguile, bewitches

Antonyms: liberates, frees, releases, unshackles