Svengali

[ sven-gah-lee, sfen- ]

noun
  1. a person who completely dominates another, usually with selfish or sinister motives.

Origin of Svengali

1
First recorded in 1940–45; after the evil hypnotist of the same name in the novel Trilby (1894) by George Du Maurier

Words Nearby Svengali

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Svengali in a sentence

  • Frohman was curiously fascinated by "Bengali," as he insisted upon calling Svengali.

    Charles Frohman: Manager and Man | Isaac Frederick Marcosson and Daniel Frohman
  • That the story of Svengali and of Trilby's voice is a good story only a duffer would deny.

    Adventures in Criticism | Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
  • "It is called the 'Rosemonde' of Schubert, matemoiselle," replied Svengali.

    Trilby | George Du Maurier
  • Nobody knew exactly how Svengali lived, and very few knew where (or why).

    Trilby | George Du Maurier

British Dictionary definitions for Svengali

Svengali

/ (svɛnˈɡɑːlɪ) /


noun
  1. a person who controls another's mind, usually with sinister intentions

Origin of Svengali

1
after a character in George Du Maurier's novel Trilby (1894)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012