Magic

English

Noun

Magic (uncountable)

Allegedly supernatural charm, spell or other method to dominate natural forces.
A ritual associated with supernatural magic or with mysticism.
An illusion performed to give the appearance of magic or the supernatural.
A cause not quite understood.

Magic makes the light go on
(figuratively) Something spectacular or wonderful.

movie magic
(computing, slang) Any behaviour of a program or algorithm that cannot be explained or is yet to be defined or implemented.

Synonyms

(allegedly supernatural method to dominate natural forces): thaumaturgy, conjuring, sorcery, witchcraft
(illusion performed to give the appearance of magic or the supernatural): sleight of hand, illusionism, legerdemain, dweomercraft

Adjective

Magic (not comparable)

Having supernatural talents, properties or qualities attributed to magic.

a magic wand; a magic dragon
Featuring illusions that are usually performed for entertainment.

a magic show; a magic trick
Wonderful, amazing or incredible.

a magic moment
(physics) Describing the number of nucleons in a particularly stable isotopic nucleus; 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82, 126, and 184
(UK, slang) Great; ideal.

— I cleaned up the flat while you were out. — Really? Magic!

Synonyms

magical

Verb

Magic (third-person singular simple present Magics, present participle magicking, simple past and past participle magicked)

(transitive) To cast a magic spell on or at someone or something.
(transitive) To produce something, as if by magic.

Synonyms

Adjectives for Magic

supernatural; practised; foul; peculiar; curative; traditional; subtle; powerful; sheer; wild; all-subduing; aimless; lush.

1. Having supernatural talents, properties or qualities attributed to magic.

a magic wand; a magic dragon

2. Featuring illusions that are usually performed for entertainment.

a magic show; a magic trick

3. Wonderful, amazing or incredible.

a magic moment

Adverbs for Magic

bewilderingly; occultly; cleverly; subtly; amazingly; undeniably; wondrously; miraculously; curiously; strangely; unbelievably; wickedly; as Cendandy; weirdly; cabalistically; mystically; mysteriously; slyly; obviously; presumably.

Thesaurus

Prospero, abracadabra, airiness, alchemy, allure, allurement, appearance, augury, aura, bewitchery, bewitching, bewitchment, black art, black magic, blaze of glory, brilliance, brilliancy, charisma, charm, charming, conjuring, delusiveness, demonolatry, devilry, deviltry, diablerie, diabolism, divination, divining, enchanting, enchantment, ensorcellment, entrancing, envelope, exorcism, extraordinary, fallaciousness, false appearance, false light, false show, falseness, fascinating, fascination, fetishism, glamor, glamour, glory, gramarye, halo, hocus-pocus, hoodoo, hypnotic, idealization, illusion, illusionism, illusionist, illusiveness, illustriousness, immateriality, incantation, juju, jujuism, legerdemain, luster, magian, magic act, magic show, magical, magician, magnetic, magnetism, marvelous, mesmerizing, miraculous, mumbo-jumbo, mystic, mystique, natural magic, necromancy, necromantic, nimbus, numinousness, obeah, occult, occultism, prestidigitation, prodigious, radiance, remarkable, resplendence, resplendency, rune, satanism, seeming, semblance, shamanism, shamanistic, show, simulacrum, sleight of hand, soothsaying, sorcerer, sorcerous, sorcery, sortilege, specious appearance, spell, spellbinding, spellcasting, splendor, stupendous, sympathetic magic, thaumaturgia, thaumaturgics, thaumaturgism, thaumaturgy, theurgy, trickery, unactuality, unbelievable, unprecedented, unreality, unsubstantiality, vampirism, voodoo, voodooism, wanga, white magic, witchcraft, witchery, witching, witchwork, witchy, wizardly, wizardry

Alternative forms

magick (fantasy, occult) Used as a deliberate archaism; used for supernatural magic, as distinguished from stage magic.
magicke (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English magik from Old French magique, reborrowed from Latin magice, borrowed from Ancient Greek μαγική (“magical”) (τέχνη (“art”)), derived from μάγος (mage) from magos magus, sorcerer, of Iranian origin; akin to Old Persian 𐎶𐎦𐎢𐏁 (maguš, “sorcerer”). Displaced native Middle English dweomercraft "magic, magic arts" (from Old English dwimor "phantom, illusion" + cræft "art"), Old English galdorcræft "magic, enchantment", Old English drȳcræft "magic, sorcery".