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

The final weeks of an orchestra’s season can feel like the end of school: Everyone’s worn down and summer is beckoning. —Anastasia Tsioulcas, New York Times, 19 May 2025

The siren song of northern Italy beckons to us all at some point, and the best hotels in Lake Como brilliantly capture the allure of the region. —Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 5 May 2025

As springtime sunshine finally hits New York City, the Met Gala beckons — one of the most anticipated and visible parties in the world. —Staff and Wire Reports, Boston Herald, 5 May 2025

The great outdoors are beckoning just footsteps away Of course, one’s proximity to the vasty deep requires one to interact with nature on a more intimate level, and Terranea provides ample opportunities to get up close and personal with the aquatic life. —David Weiss, Forbes.com, 29 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