Charming — A Vocabulary Story
The Charming Little Brother
Vaipuna's little brother Sione was two years old and dangerously charming. When he wanted the last biscuit, he simply tilted his head, blinked his big brown eyes, and said, "Peas?" Grown-ups melted like ice cream in the sun.
Charming means pleasant and attractive in a way that makes people like you. It can also mean delightful or lovely to look at.
"It's not fair," Vaipuna grumbled to her dad. "I asked nicely for the biscuit FIRST."
"Yes," said Dad, "but Sione asked charmingly. There's a difference."
Vaipuna decided to investigate. She watched Sione all week, taking notes like a detective. Head tilt. Eye blink. Tiny voice. Simple.
On Saturday, she tried it on Nana Losa. Vaipuna tilted her head so far it nearly touched her shoulder, blinked seventeen times, and squeaked, "May I have an ice lolly, peas?"
Nana Losa peered at her with concern. "Vaipuna, my darling, is something wrong with your neck? And your eye? Should I ring the doctor?"
Vaipuna groaned and flopped onto the sofa. Being charming was clearly harder than it looked.
Then Sione toddled over, patted her knee, and offered her his soggy, half-chewed rice cracker. It was the most disgusting gift Vaipuna had ever received. It was also, somehow, the sweetest.
"Thank you, Sione," she said, and gave him a hug instead of eating it.
Nana Losa smiled. "Now THAT was charming," she said. "Ice lollies for both of you, I think."
Vaipuna grinned. No head tilt. No blinking. Just a hug and a thank you. She wrote it in her detective notebook immediately.
Word Definition
charming
meaning
pleasant and attractive in a way that makes people like you; delightful or lovely to look at; to please or delight someone greatly
synonyms
delightful · lovely · attractive · captivating · enchanting
antonyms
repulsive · unpleasant
example sentence
The charming old cottage had roses around the door.