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

His father beckons to a life of faith, but his cousins Smoke and Stack (twin Michaels B. Jordan) have returned from a Capone operation looking to launder money and recruit the young performer for their juke joint’s band. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025

The defense industry beckons With the completion of his doctoral thesis, Samueli joined a friend as a member of the technical staff at TRW, in Redondo Beach, Calif. —IEEE Spectrum, 20 Apr. 2025

Now Apple iPhone 17 Pro And iPhone 17 Pro Max: Latest Leaks Promise New Designs But ultimately her passion for creating beckoned in a big way. —Jeryl Brunner, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025

The fringes of space beckoned some 65 miles (105 kilometers) up, promising a few precious minutes of weightlessness before the crew returned. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 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