beldame
Withered old woman
A beldame is an old woman, especially an ugly or malevolent one—a hag or crone.
The word appears mainly in literary contexts, often in fairy tales or fantasy where old women are cast as witches or sinister figures: The beldame cackled over her cauldron.
Now rare outside deliberate archaism.
Frightening elderly witch
- croneWizened old woman
- matriarchFemale family leader
- dowagerTitled widow of nobility
- grandmotherMother of a parent
wizened · wrinkled · stooped · grey-haired · elderly · decrepit · senescent · superannuated
Frightening elderly witch
- terrifyingEvoking extreme fear
- menacingConveying threat or danger
- frighteningInspiring terror or alarm
- ghastlyTerrifyingly horrible or pale
sinister · ominous · dreadful · formidable · chilling · nightmarish · monstrous · gruesome
Female practitioner of magic
- enchantressWoman who uses sorcery
- spellcasterOne who performs magic
- hexMalevolent incantation
- covenAssembly of witches
cauldron · potion · incantation · spellbook · familiar · necromancer · conjurer · warlock
hag
Frightening elderly witch
grandmother · wizened · wrinkled · stooped · grey-haired · elderly · decrepit · senescent · superannuated · garrulous
hag
Frightening elderly witch
- terrifyingEvoking extreme fear
- menacingConveying threat or danger
- frighteningInspiring terror or alarm
ghastly · sinister · ominous · dreadful · formidable · chilling · nightmarish · monstrous · gruesome · foreboding
sorceress
Female practitioner of magic
- enchantressWoman who uses sorcery
- spellcasterOne who performs magic
- hexMalevolent incantation
coven · cauldron · potion · incantation · spellbook · familiar · necromancer · conjurer · warlock · occultist
fairy-tale
Magical children's story
- legendUnverified traditional tale
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- mythosBody of foundational legends
apparition · specter · banshee · ghoul · phantom · sibyl · oracle · seeress · prophetess · lore