Charm is a word that can be found in different senses and contexts, and therefore confusion arises, in order to avoid it, you need to once and for all understand for yourself all the possible meanings of the definition in question. This is what we will do in the near future.
Meaning
Referring to the dictionary, as always, fruitful. It offers us the following options:
- What beckons, attracts attention, seduces. “The beauty of this venture was that it promised great profits without any apparent risk.”
- That which enchants, seduces, captivates. Usually they say this about beautiful women. “Wow, how good. She's just adorable!".
- Deceit, seduction, seduction. In the 19th century, in the church language, the word had a clearly negative character.
- The most complete manifestation of the true qualities of man, nature. “In severe frosts, winter showed itself in all its charms.”
The meaning will be preserved if we replace “charm” (we are getting ahead of ourselves a little) with the word “beauty”.
When the value is disenchanted, don't stop there. Moving on, next stop, synonyms.
Replacing the word "charm"
Despite the simplicity, the object of our study is not so easy to replace. Still, it's about charm. However, we will try. Some of the synonyms will seem a little awkward, but this only reflects the difficulty of the task. So, here is a list of possible substitutions, and comments after:
- Charming.
- Cute.
- Pretty.
- Beauty.
- Beauty.
- Darling.
- Miracle.
- Dream.
- Charm.
- Attractiveness.
- Extra class.
- Above all praise.
- Temptation.
- Deception.
Probably enough. You can replace the word “charm” in different ways, synonyms will depend on the specific language situation. For example, if you need to express admiration for the beauty of a woman, then the first three definitions will do. If you need to praise the beautiful character of the girl, you can use a word that refers us to one of the stories of A. P. Chekhov, - "Darling".
Need to comment on any bright opportunity that has come up? Use definitions 7, 8. Evaluate some result of labor or thing - number 11, 12. If something dangerous or evil is ahead, then words numbered 13, 14 will do. It all depends on the language situation and what exactly he wants to say the speaker, replacing the definition of "charm". Synonyms should always be chosen very carefully.
The Case of Gollum and the insidiousness of "Lovely"
Of course, hardly Tolkien,creating Gollum, I thought about what super-meaning is invested in this character, especially in Russian. After all, many interesting conclusions can be drawn from this image about the nature of charm as a quality. It is clear that the Ring of Omnipotence is evil incarnate. If someone does not believe, then he can ask the former hobbit. Here, an unexpected meaning of the word “charm” is revealed, its meaning in this case is two-dimensional: for Gollum, the Ring is the embodiment of beauty, the goal of all aspirations, but in fact it is the purest darkness, and one that cannot immediately be found an equivalent.
Of course, the Christian meaning of the character and his "Charms" is revealed without difficulty: idolatry does not lead to good. But after all, the case of an unfortunate creature makes one think about whether the charm of a person, nature, or some phenomenon is so simple. Is there something hidden behind a shiny facade that will then terrify? Beauty can serve as a bait to lure a person into a trap, for example, about nature. When a person looks at a calm sea on a sunny day, he may well exclaim: “Charming!”. But as soon as the sun goes behind the clouds, or the weather deteriorates, the element will show its true face, its charm, it will be a completely different story.
Maniac Buffalo Bill and his dog Precious
I want to enhance the impression, so let's remember one more interesting detail. Research leads us from literature to cinema. There is such a landmark film "The Silence of the Lambs", but it will not be about Hannibal Lecter or Clarice Starling, but about whom they caught together. That's right, ohBuffalo Bill. Now, few people will remember that the ruthless sadist and killer had a little poodle named Precious. It seems that the filmmakers did not accidentally place such a wonderful creature next to Bill. The function of the dog is quite simple - to expose the inherent sentimentality of a maniac, characteristic of many criminals. Charm is that form of beauty that the main anti-hero of the film is still able to perceive. And at the same time, people for him are things for which it is difficult to feel something.
Why are these examples here? The answer is fairly easy to formulate. So that the reader knows: it is not so difficult to find synonyms for the word "charm" as to distinguish evil from good. And since human memory works associatively, bright images will help you remember the material better.
