win·some (w n s m)adj. Charming, often in a childlike or naive way. [Middle English winsum, from Old English wynsum : from wynn, joy; see wen-1 in Indo-European roots + -sum, characterized by; see -some1.] win some·ly adv.win some·ness n.Word History: Winsome people easily win friends, so it is not surprising that winsome and win have a common root. Their shared element win- comes from the Indo-European root *wen-, meaning "to desire, strive for," and has a number of descendants in the Germanic languages. One was the prehistoric Germanic noun *wini- meaning "friend" (literally, "one who desires or loves" someone else), which became wine in Old English and is preserved in such names as Winfred, "friend of peace," and Edwin, "friend of (family) possessions." A different form of the root with a different suffix became Old English wynn, "pleasure, joy," preserved in winsome. Finally, the verb win itself is from this root; its meaning is an extension of the sense "to strive for," namely, "to strive for with success, be victorious." Outside of the Germanic branch of Indo-European, we see the root, for example, in Latin venus or Venus "love, the goddess of love," and the verb vener  re, "to worship," the source of English venerate. |
winsome [ˈwɪnsəm]
adj
charming; winning; engaging a winsome smile
[Old English wynsum, from wynn joy (related to Old High German wunnia, German Wonne) + -sum -some1]
winsomely adv
winsomeness n
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Adj. | 1. | winsome - charming in a childlike or naive way attractive - pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm; "a remarkably attractive young man"; "an attractive personality"; "attractive clothes"; "a book with attractive illustrations" |
winsome
adjective charming, taking, winning, pleasing, pretty, fair, sweet, attractive, engaging, fascinating, pleasant, fetching, cute, disarming, enchanting, endearing, captivating, agreeable, amiable, alluring, bewitching, delectable, comely, likable or likeable She gave him her most winsome smile.
Translations
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