beckon

verb

beck·on ˈbe-kᵊn

beckoned; beckoning

Synonyms of beckon next

intransitive verb

: 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

: to appear inviting : attract

the frontier beckons

transitive verb

: to beckon to

beckoned us over to their table

beckon noun

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 Donning versatile athleisure clothes suitable for various activities from the lake to the golf course, Both Zac and Efron beckon us to bet on Vuori and get these versatile, stylish performance clothes for ourselves right now. —

Maverick Li, Men's Health, 8 Sep. 2023 For years, China’s vast domestic market beckoned multinational corporations with the promise of enormous profits. —

David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2023 Greece has long beckoned travelers with its beauty. —

Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2023 With their cozy appeal and architectural cred, fireplaces beckon people and furniture to gather around. —

Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 30 Aug. 2023 Gemini rising With Venus newly direct in your third house of local space and short-distance trips this month, your weekender bag beckons to be stuffed into the trunk of a rental car split four ways between you and your besties. —

Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2023 Ever a contender among the best islands in the United States as ranked by Travel + Leisure readers, Hilton Head beckons with historical and cultural learnings dished up alongside culinary and beach delights. —

Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2023 And with a head-spinning array of both urban pursuits and outdoorsy endeavors, this tropical paradise located about 1,000 miles southeast of Florida beckons no matter what’s on the itinerary (or how long your passport will be held up in processing). —

Blane Bachelor, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Aug. 2023 Contrast that with the ocean-blue sea that beckons through the floor-to-ceiling windows. —

Tori Latham, Robb Report, 8 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beckon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of beckon was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century