beckon

verb

beck·​on ˈbe-kᵊn 

beckoned; beckoning

intransitive verb

1

: to summon or signal typically with a wave or nod

My master beckons.

He … beckoned to the other generals to come and stand where he stood.

—H. E. Scudder

2

: to appear inviting : attract

the frontier beckons

transitive verb

: to beckon to

beckoned us over to their table

beckon noun

Synonyms

• flag
• gesture
• motion
• signal
• wave

Examples of beckon in a Sentence

She was beckoning them in to shore.

She beckoned the waiter to come over.

She beckoned to the waiter to come over.

From the time he was a child, the wilderness beckoned to him.

The nature preserve beckons bird-watchers, who visit from around the world.

Recent Examples on the Web

Now through Labor Day, patrons will see the iconic 1965 era red, white, and blue LUNCH sign beckoning them into the contemporary downtown steakhouse for a selection of seasonal dishes. —Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025

For those in the Northeast, the Jersey Shore beckons with its 90-plus miles of golden sand running along the Atlantic. —Rachel Chang, AFAR Media, 2 June 2025

The rapture once preached and beckoned in churches has been repackaged for secular times: In place of souls ascending to heaven, there are minds preserved digitally—or even bodies kept alive—for eternity. —John Kaag, The Atlantic, 28 May 2025

The Panther sit on the edge of hockey greatness now, the Stanley Cup Final beckoning them for a third straight year, the kind of run that would offer a chance to repeat as champs and put them up with the best teams in South Florida history. —Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 25 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bekenen, bikenen, becknien, becknyn, going back to Old English bēcnan, bīcnan, bīcnian, bēacnian "to make a mute gesture to, summon, symbolize, portend, reveal," going back to West Germanic *bauhnjan- or *bauhnōjan- (whence also Old Saxon bōknian "to portend, give as a token," Old High German bouhhanen, bouhnen "to give a sign or token, signify"), weak verb derivatives of *baukn- "sign, signal" — more at beacon entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for beckon

• reckon

Kids Definition

beckon

verb

beck·​on ˈbek-ən 

beckoned; beckoning

ˈbek- (ə-)niŋ

1

: to call or signal to a person usually by a wave or nod

they beckoned us to come over

2

: to appear inviting

new adventures were beckoning