a pernicious and malign influence that is hard to get rid of; "racism is a pestilence at the heart of the nation"; "according to him, I was the canker in their midst"
attracting and holding interest as if by a spell; "read the bedtime story in a hypnotic voice"; "she had a warm mesmeric charm"; "the sheer force of his presence was mesmerizing"; "a spellbinding description of life in ancient Rome"